Anna Grayson and The Order of Merlin
by DaveO
Summary: Anna Grayson was born into a powerful wizarding family in America. Born a squib, Anna begins showing astonishing powers that lead her to Castlewood Academy for the Magical Arts and eventually to the realization she’s a Guardian in The Order of Merlin.
1. Elfishness

Chapter 1d14- Elfishness

Chapter 1

Elfishness

As Anna burst through the thick clouds and into a bright blue sky, the sun stretched across a beautiful morning ocean hundreds of feet below her. The deep water shimmered beneath them while gusting winds blew each cap over onto itself, creating foamy white paint across an emerald surface. She could smell the late-summer flowers on the distant shore and recognized many of their wonderful fragrances. She was tempted to close her eyes and try to match each smell to the flower it belonged, but she didn't want to miss anything right now. She wanted to take it all in — to see all there was around her. She dare not close her eyes now, not even to blink.

"Let's turn toward the beach," she said, and her flying steed immediately banked right and plummeted straight down several hundred feet before Anna realized what was happening. The water was rushing toward them so fast she had to lean forward over the horse's huge back and grab a handful of his mane to remain saddled. She flattened herself against his spine and stretched her legs behind to grasp as much of his muscled midriff as she could manage.

_Here he goes_, she thought excitedly. _He's doing it again, but this time I'm going to win._

She leaned to the side to see where he was looking and wasn't surprised to see his head turned slightly toward her, a single eye peering back, testing her resolve. The green of the water was reflected in that eye as he began to squint from the rush of the wind now hitting them hard. As the water's surface rushed toward them, the deep ocean smell was pushing into Anna's nose and her eyes could feel the salty spray. Panic was setting in.

"Okay…" she said, in a hopeful voice. But there was no change as they continued to plunge toward the water.

"I said — all right!" she yelled out, this time with more urgency. She moved her head to the right to look down and her eyes, still focused on the expected distant view of the ocean's surface, penetrated the water straight through to its rocky bottom. It was too late; they were going to crash.

"AHHHHHHH! YOU WIN! YOU WIN!" she screamed, burying her face into his black mane.

At the last possible moment, the mighty stallion pulled up, banked left, and slid the tops of his hooves across the surface of the water. Wet, salty, and warm, the ocean shot up behind them as he gouged a huge, arcing plume in their wake. Anna raised her head just as he flipped to his right and into a turn so tight she could feel her insides gathering in her legs and against the side of his ribs.

"I'M LOSING IT!" she screamed, feeling herself slowly slipping over his right shoulder as he leaned further and further toward the water. The ocean was just inches from her now, the white paint slapping at her knee. They flew in a large slowing circle, which must have ended where it started; she could feel the warm water they had disturbed falling like rain on their backs. The horse straightened and, with a purposeful flick, tossed Anna back to center on his wide back.

"You're so bad…." she told him condescendingly. His response was immediate. He jerked his head down and with a vulgar grunt started veering abruptly left and right, tossing her back and forth. Anna was slipping and sliding over his wet back and off center again.

"All right – I take it back," she screamed. "You're absolutely fabulous!" She leaned forward to grab him around his huge neck again to stabilize herself. "You really are beautiful," she said, this time in a soft whisper next to his ear.

With a sharp jerk, the mighty steed raised up over the water in standing jubilation. He bellowed in triumph, kicking his front feet wildly into the air around them.

"Showoff…" she said indignantly. "Can we go home now?"

With a gruff snort, the jet-black horse suddenly leapt forward and started running across the top of the water, and with every stride, he slowly began to rise again. Higher and higher, his splashing hooves lifted into the air.

Anna could see the white cliffs of the shore coming into view now; the water's edge and beach below were passing a mere ten feet under them as they headed straight toward the cliff's wall.

_Here it comes_, she thought with an eager smile curling on her face, _my favorite part._

The horse started arcing up the cliff's face, finally touching his hooves and running against its rough and weathered surface. Rising vertically, only the gravity pulling at Anna's back reminded her they were now racing up the cliff's front. Anna looked up and smiled. She could see the edge coming into view above them, her sense of the speed heightened now by the boulders and outcroppings flying past them in a continuous blur.

"Faster!" she hollered, twisting herself expectantly into her saddle. They finally reached the edge of the cliff and the stallion gave a mighty heave. As if jumping across a great chasm, he leapt into the sun and Anna could feel them soaring into the morning blue, turning over and over as they somersaulted backwards. She could see the blue sky, the ocean below, the beach and cliffs, as they wheeled completely around - rising still higher. They shot over the tops of the trees anchored for centuries at the cliff's crowning summit and there, finally, rising before them was her manor home, Grayson.

Always inspiring, this vision forever confirmed Anna's feelings that her home, perched atop the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was the most beautiful place in the entire world.

And then, as if coming from some far off point of land on a distant shore, a familiar and squeaky voice was heard.

"Miss Anna? You is going to be late for school…"

The horse looked back at Anna and she knew he would soon fade away. She was dreaming again. But she also knew if she could just kept her eyes shut, she could prolong her sense of flight, her sense of freedom… this bit of magic.

"Miss Anna is goin' to be in trouble, she is," said the voice invading her dream once more.

"Oh Gabby, leave me alone. I'm flying again!"

She shouldn't have replied. For the moment Anna began to speak, she saw the black stallion beginning to melt away, leaving only the blurred outline of her horse fading into oblivion. The picture in her mind went black, and Anna realized what she was seeing now was nothing more than the inside of her closed eyelids.

"You is not flying Miss. You is sleeping in a bed," squeaked the voice from across her room.

"Gabby… please… just a five more minutes. Will you please…just…?" But Anna's pained appeal faded away as the black stallion she was now struggling to retrieve disappeared entirely.

"Gabby 'as chores to do, works to be done. Miss Anna is to be getting up!"

"Ohhhhh…" Anna sighed painfully. "You know Gabby, sometimes you can be such a pain," she said with great indignation.

"I is a good house elf!" the voice chirped.

A bright light burst through her closed eyelids and Anna jerked the blankets up to shield her face from the morning sun now pouring into her four-poster bed. Gabby the Grayson house elf had ripped the curtains open to reveal a very large window overlooking the same beautiful ocean Anna had been flying over just a moment before.

"Up-up-up!" said Gabby, as she bounced about Anna's room opening all the drawers in her dresser and flicking on the lights in the adjoining bathroom.

It always amazed Anna that despite the elf's obvious age she was so nimble and quick. Gabby was tiny, no more than two and a half feet tall. Her skin was a greenish-brown color with blotches of black on her face and arms. Although she didn't know exactly how old Gabby was, Anna attributed the blotches to her advanced years more than to some unknown ailment. The elf's hair was very gray and clumped in short tufts just above her long, pointed, bat-like ears. Her flattened head was bald on top, and it seemed rather funny to Anna that Gabby looked more like a little old man than the female elf she claimed to be. Her skin was wrinkled and weathered, but her huge, oval eyes were clear and bright as she dashed from one end of the room to the other, scampering about like a monkey on all fours.

"What is you wearin, Miss?" asked the elf, now waist deep in the top drawer of Anna's dresser. She was tossing various pieces of clothing into the air and onto the floor around her.

"Oh I don't know… I'm still waking up," Anna said, as she flopped back down on her back and threw a pillow over her face. "I hate Mondays!" she screamed in a muffled voice.

There was a faint _pop_ from across the room and then another loud _pop_ right next to Anna's ear. She slowly lowered the pillow to find Gabby's large, oval eyes peering down at her. The elf had Disapparated from her dresser drawer and reappeared again next to her in the bed. Elves were highly magical creatures and were known throughout the entire wizarding world as very useful house servants. Gabby had been with the Grayson family for a very long time. Exactly how long, Anna wasn't sure, but she often heard the elf speaking of Anna's grandmother as a young child.

"Is you feelwin awright, Miss Anna?" the elf asked her, turning her head sideways with an animated look of practiced concern.

Anna quickly realized she had pushed her luck too far, and if she didn't start moving soon, Gabby was sure to raise an alarm throughout the entire house. In short order, she would find herself tied down to her bed, a thermometer in her mouth, and a hot water bottle under her rump.

Anna looked up at Gabby's large brown eyes and smiled. She placed a raised hand upon the elf's dull, grayish face and stroked it softly.

"I'm fine, Gabby," she whispered affectionately. "You know… I love you… very much. You are my dearest friend."

Gabby's eyes welled with tears. "You is too kind to this old house elf, Miss Anna," the elf replied. Then she leaned forward to whisper, "You is always been my favorite Grayson."

Anna smiled tenderly at the little creature and then leaned up to touch their noses together.

"You know, Gabby, I won't be able to make the bus if you don't get off my chest."

"Eeeeeekkkk!" Gabby yelped with a short chirp. She quickly jumped to the floor and scampered back to the drawers. "I is terrible holding up my mistress. What is you said you was wearin', Miss?"

Anna threw back the blanket, jumped to her feet, and noticed two pink bunny slippers starting to hop across the room toward her. She slid her left foot into the right slipper and then dashed into the bathroom as the left slipper hopped frantically behind to catch up.

"I dunno Gabs. Just pick something for me."

As soon as Anna let those words slip through her lips, she knew it was a mistake. For Gabby had already proven long ago she had absolutely no sense of style. Anna clearly remembered the last time Gabby set out her clothes. She had laid out a pair of bright green pants and a shockingly pink sweater that Anna had received from one of her sisters. Gabby topped off this ensemble with two different socks, one ankle-high red sock and one knee-high blue sock with black tassels. Anna was also expected to wear her bunny slippers with the socks.

No, Gabby's sense of style was definitely lacking. Maybe it was because she didn't have or wear much of anything herself. The elf was always dressed in an old dishtowel, wrapped around her like a toga. House elves, it would seem, show their servitude to a family by wearing a minimum of garments. Anna had once tried giving Gabby a nice dress with matching socks to wear, and although her efforts were met with tears of overwhelming joy, the little elf always refused these articles of generosity.

"Only the Master is able to give the house elves real clothes, Miss Anna," she said with a sad face, looking at the dress she longed to accept. "And only when he wishes to set us free."

When Anna's father found out about her gifts, he flew into a rage. "Don't you realize how such a mistake could unwittingly release an elf from our family's service? If you had been the mistress of this house, we could have lost Gabby for good," he stormed. "I want it understood — you are not to give clothing to the elves!"

Mister Grayson had made his point, but went a step further still. Despite the fact the incident didn't make any difference to the freedom of an elf, he let it be known to all his children they were never to give anything to the servants.

Anna opened the bathroom door and ran back into the bedroom.

"Wait — stop — I know what I want to wear!"

Gabby popped up out of the bottom drawer as a pair of Anna's underwear fell upon her head; one of her pointed ears was now sticking out of a leg hole. She had undoubtedly begun the process of choosing Anna's attire.

"Is you sure, Miss?" Gabby said in a slow, disappointed voice. "I… I is good at clothes," she said encouragingly.

"Of course you are, Gabs, but I have to wear something very specific today," Anna explained, as she searched the back of her mind for her best excuse. "Ahhh, yeah, I have to wear what I wore… on Friday. You see, a girl from school liked what I wore on Friday so much that, ahhhh," Anna began to stammer, "that she wanted me to wear it again today." She looked at Gabby with a hopeful gaze. "Okay?"

"Ohhhhhh, I's cleaned those wears on Friday! I is a good house elf," Gabby repeated, now hopping across the floor to Anna's bed.

"Sorry I's did not put the Miss's clothes back in the drawers. I is going to do that after I's cleaned your room," she said happily, disappearing under the bed.

"Hurry Gabs — I've got to go," Anna pleaded, looking down at her feet. The other bunny slipper had finally caught up with her and was hopping up and down on its twin. It was obviously upset about the other slipper being on the wrong foot. With each blow, the slipper was giving off little plastic squeaks, and little pink puffs of fuzz were jetting sideways as the left slipper squashed the other.

"Let off!" Anna said indignantly, tossing both slippers across the room with a flick.

Before she could regain her balance, a heavy lidded box slid out from under the bed and knocked her to the floor.

"Ouch!" she yelped, rubbing a banged ankle. She tossed open the lid, grabbed her freshly laundered clothes, and headed for the bathroom again.

Two minutes later she emerged looking for her shoes. She was surprised to see her bed made, clothes neatly folded and put back into the drawers, curtains tied back, and toast with jam sitting on the corner of her end table. Gabby was standing before her, holding up a shoe in each of her tiny hands.

"Gabby, have you seen…? Oh… thanks," she said, taking the shoes from the elf.

"Was Widwick here?" Anna asked, spying the toast and jam.

"Oh yes, mum," said the elf, her eyes bright. "He saws you is runnin' late, and wanted to help wif you's breakfast. He is a good old elf, he is," Gabby said, in a low voice, "but… uhh…"

"But what?" Anna sat to put on her shoes.

"Well…" Gabby stammered, coming closer to Anna as if hoping for a more private conversation. "Widwick is sad about losing his…" she paused briefly to look around again, "his elfishness," she said, in a whispered voice.

"His what?"

"His elfishness… his magicalness," Gabby repeated with wide eyes, hoping not to explain more.

"Ohhhhh… well… I think he's okay… isn't he?" said Anna, silently admitting to herself she hadn't noticed any real differences in Widwick's abilities.

"Oh yes, mum. Widwick is old — but very elfish. He is just sensitive, he is. It happens to us all, it does… eventually… but old Widwick is golden," she finished happily, and then scampered off to finish cleaning the room.

It seemed remarkable to Anna that Gabby would call Widwick old. Widwick was the other house elf in service in the Grayson mansion. He was shorter than Gabby, but just as agile. He didn't look nearly as old as Gabby, but Anna could tell by the things they said to each other, and especially when they were fighting, that Widwick was indeed quite a bit older than Gabby.

"Where is he?" asked Anna, trying her shoes.

"Is standing outside the door wif yer lunch 'n books," Gabby replied, sliding the now empty box back under the bed. "He knows you is late!"

"Thank you Widwick — the toast is wonderful!" Anna sang to the door through a mouth full of crust.

"You is very welcome, Miss," twittered a tiny, boyish voice from the other side of her bedroom door.

Anna grabbed up a brush and started combing her hair frantically. "I saw his eyes this time, Gabs," she said, looking at the little elf dashing about the room behind her in the mirror.

"Whose eyes?" said the elf, not stopping to listen.

"The black stallion's eyes, silly. I saw them this time in my dream — they were blue," Anna said, still brushing her long, red hair.

She saw movement all over her dressing table as various pins and hairclips dashed about, trying to gather her attention. Anna picked up a pretty red one, stopped suddenly, and then looked at it again. She raised the clip under a watchful eye.

"Once seated — no moving around this time, right?" The little-red clip popped open by itself as if agreeing to the deal. Anna had some difficulty with this little hairclip moving about her head in public. Apparently, it was trying to change her hairstyle on its own several times over the course of the day. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing most of the time, but there were Muggles around who might have seen what it was doing.

Anna slid the clip into her hair and snapped it closed. Then she leaned into the mirror, turning her head slightly to get a closer look at the adornment.

"I mean it," she said, with a pitch of warning in her voice. The clip didn't move. "Good — stay that way," she said, picking up her brush again.

"'Is eyes were blue?" repeated Gabby, this time standing motionless behind Anna.

"Huh? What? Oh… yeah… big blue eyes; beautiful — like sapphires. Ahhh, if only I could meet a boy with eyes like that," she said, pushing her red hair up next to her ears, contemplating a bun. She looked at Gabby standing behind her. She was very still now, a look of fright moving over her face.

"What's the matter, Gabs? No boy could ever replace you," Anna said, jokingly.

"Is not that, Miss," said the little elf in a lowered voice.

"What then?" Anna gave up on the bun and moved to the hanging necklaces beside her mirror.

"Is saying you is flying… on a black horse… wif blue eyes?" asked Gabby, now looking very serious, her ears beginning to droop.

"Yeah, that's right… so?" She turned around to look at Gabby while trying to work the clasp of her necklace behind her head.

"Is bad luck, it is. Dread anything so black," said the elf under her breath.

"What are you talking about?" Anna laughed as she began pulling the tiny pieces of lint off of her shirt before looking up to realize… Gabby was serious. She bent down on one knee to look into the elf's eyes.

"What's the matter Gabby? What's troubling my best friend?"

Gabby's ears began to rise again.

"Ohhhh — finkle-fackle. Is ancient legends from the old country," Gabby said, trying to shrug off her fears.

"What did you mean… 'Dread anything so black'?"

Gabby's ears started to lower again before looking around cautiously to ensure nobody else could hear them.

"Black with wings as bats, and eyes of bluish-white is bad, is unlucky, is dread," she said, fearfully. "Cannot be ridden…. nobody is knowing how. Take you's up and drops you's down. Dread the black ones that fly — they is killers," the elf warned, in a shrewd but experienced voice. "Best my mistress stay on the ground," she finished, hopefully.

"Well," Anna said in a sobered voice, "would it help to say my horse doesn't have wings?"

"But you's said it flies," Gabby replied, raising one of her hairless eyebrows.

"Oh Gabs… it's just a dream," Anna said smiling, straightening to stand again. "Tell you what; I promise — if I ever have a chance to fly on a black-winged horse, I'll say, 'No thank you — because my friend Gabby says it's not safe', all right?" Gabby smiled triumphantly. "Good. Well, I'd better get going. See you Gabs!"

Anna grabbed her book bag and ran for the bedroom door. She opened the door with a quick glance back at the smiling elf behind her, took two steps on the other side, and promptly tripped and fell with a heavy _THUMP_.

"Ooooooweeeee," hollered a tiny voice beneath her. Anna rolled over to find poor Widwick flattened in the hallway under her bag.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Widwick. I forgot you were standing there. Are you okay?"

"Of course he's okay; he's just a stupid house elf," said a malevolent voice above her. Anna looked up and saw her older half-brother Damon standing over them. "They bounce up and down around here all the time. What's the matter with you, Anna? Just give him a kick. They'll move quickly enough," he said, with a smirk. Then he reached out and kicked Widwick in the side.

"Oooooowwwweee," Widwick yelped, again.

"Stop that!" screamed Anna. "What's the matter with you?" She tried helping the elf to his feet.

"Pay me no mind, Miss Anna," said Widwick. "The young master is quite right. Is all Widwick's fault, mum. I is awlright. I is off to my chores now," he said, wobbling to stand straight, only to fall down on his backside with a bump.

"Oh look. There you go again, Anna. It's so embarrassing… you and your little creatures. Maybe you should adopt him to add to your little collection. But you might as well put this one out of his misery, or haven't you noticed… he's loosing his magical steam. We might as well hire a Muggle slave to replace this useless vermin," Damon finished with an ugly sneer.

Anna's eyes quickly glanced down at Widwick and she saw his head drooping in personal disgrace. Anna leapt to her feet. Although two years younger than Damon, she was every bit his physical match. Her brother was skinny, gaunt in the face, and sickly looking. His eyes and hair were as black as coal, and his chin nearly invisible. If he were any other person in the world, Anna would find compassion for somebody who looked like her brother, but Damon's cruelty and arrogance were almost legendary in Anna's mind.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled, getting face to face with her brother. "The only vermin I see in this house is _you!_" she said, touching noses with him.

She always enjoyed doing this to Damon, because it was standing here like this that made it most obvious Anna was a little bit bigger than her older brother. Anna could see Damon's eyes moving slightly upward to match her gaze.

"Careful there, little sister," he said slowly. "Remember… in the real world, size doesn't matter nearly as much as the gifts we possess." He broke their locked gaze with the wood of his wand. "Be very careful."

"How would you like that wand stuffed up your…"

"I think… I is off to my chores now," said the little elf at their feet.

"Then go!" Damon demanded curtly.

"Yes, Master Damon," said the elf, taking a step to move away.

"No, stay!" ordered Anna, defiantly.

"Yes, mum," said the elf, freezing where he stood.

There was another long pause as brother and sister stared at each other before Damon stepped back and turned to walk away. Hands in his robes and walking toward his bedroom, he sang out, "Take care in school today, little squib." He turned to look back at her with an evil grin as he slowly closed his bedroom door.

"Someday that arrogant little jerk is gonna find himself in a dark alley without that wand, and that'll be the day he learns the truest lessons in life," Anna said, smacking her closed fist into her other cupped hand. "Wham!" she snapped angrily, "right in that skinny, bony little nose. Says everything about him to see he has to carry that wand around his family — even in his pajamas.

"Are you okay, Widwick?" she asked, looking down at the elf again with a note of returning sympathy.

"Oh yes, mum, I is fine," said the elf with a gaped smile

"Oh… yes… mum… I…. is…. fine," said a high mocking voice from behind Damon's door.

"Shut up, stick boy!" Anna retorted.

"Poor Widwick… you work so hard. You and Gabby deserve better than what you get from SOME OF THE GRAYSONS," she yelled at Damon's door. There was no reply.

"Don't worry about that lout… he just didn't get his dog biscuit today."

"Hee-hee… yes, mum. If you's say so."

"Here is your books, mum, and yer lunch. I is putting extra jam on you's samich this time," Widwick said with a loving smile, "just as I knows you's likes it," he whispered behind a cupped hand.

Anna smiled, straightened to pick up her bag, and then stopped. "Tell you what… you keep it." Then, looking at the huge staircase to her left, she smiled. "Or at least, you can carry it down the stairs for me, right?"

Widwick looked at her with a puzzled gaze, and then to the staircase. His eyes widened.

"Oh — no, mum. I…. I…I don't think…" But it was too late. Anna had grabbed up the little elf around the middle and was dashing for the stairs.

"No… no, mum. Please… I is not," but he never finished the sentence before Anna flew herself onto the banister nearest the forth spindle. Their forward momentum was so strong Anna could feel them reaching top speed by the tenth footstep.

"Yeeehaaaaa… it's just like flying on ol' blue eyes!" Anna screamed in exhilaration.

"Ohh…oohhhhh…mummmm… please…we is goin' to break our heads!" yelled the elf on her lap as they raced their way around the banister. Widwick was now clutching Anna's shirt to hide his face. "We is going belly up!" said the elf, now peering over his arm and down the banister. Anna couldn't help closing her eyes, looking for the blue sky in her morning dream.

"Oh… is coming, Miss Anna. Is coming!" screamed the elf

Anna opened her eyes and looked down. The end of the banister was now in sight, and so was the massive sphere on the newel post at the bottom. The size of a bowling ball, the sphere was polished to a bright shine, black, and unmovable.

"You're right, Widwick. You'd better do something…" Anna yelled back, holding the elf tight in her arms.

"Ohh, I's can't. I is not knowing how," screamed the elf.

"Yes you can, Widwick. Come on — we're going to crash!"

"I is not knowing…!"

"Widwick!" Anna screamed, still smiling.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" they both screamed at the sphere now looming before them.

_POP-POP-Poof! _

Anna and Widwick suddenly sprang off the railing and sailed over the sphere. They tumbled end-over-end through the air and across the extensive entranceway toward a number of pillows that suddenly appeared piled high on the floor waiting for them.

_POOF!_ They both landed with a squashy thud as hundreds of feathers burst into the air around them. Anna was laughing hysterically.

"I knew you could do it, Widwick. I knew it!" she laughed, lying on her back as the feathers scattered throughout the hall. "I knew it."

Widwick sat up and shook his head, his pointed ears flapping madly. "You! You is… a nutter!" he yelled, looking around them in disbelief, astounded they were still alive. "My mistress Anna is a nutter. Is for sure!"

Anna was still howling. "You still have a lot of magic in you, little elf," she said, with confidence. "Don't let them tell you any differently."

Widwick smiled. "I… is a good house elf?" he asked her, a look of hopeful pride building on his face.

"Yes you are, Widwick. But it's not the magic that makes you special… it's what's inside your heart." She smiled at the little creature. "My daddy told me that; and I should know." She then leaned forward to place her forehead on his and then whispered, "All squibs know this."

"The Muggle bus! The Muggle bus! The Muggle bus!" squawked a blue parrot from its cage. Anna's father had recently placed the enchanted bird by the door at the beginning of the school year as a warning her school bus was approaching.

"Gotta go!" Anna snapped. She stuffed her scattered books back into her bag, grabbed her lunch, and kissed Widwick on the top of the head. She dashed out the door, down the stone steps, and into the driveway below. "See you tonight, okay?"

Widwick sat up to look around and smiled. "I is still magic inside," he said, folding his arms in satisfaction. "I is still a good house elf," he said, and then he flopped back down into the pillows, releasing another plume of feathers into the air around him.

10


	2. Fun with Hair

Chapter 2d12 – Fun with Hair

Chapter 2

Fun with Hair

Anna walked down the long driveway toward the road at the bottom of the hill. The road turned and twisted through the huge old growth trees that surrounded the Grayson estate. The property, stretching several hundred acres around her, was enchanted to deter any uninvited visitors. From the beach below the cliffs, the house was totally invisible to everybody in the non-wizarding world. If any Muggles, non-magical people, tried to enter the grounds, they would instantly begin feeling an increasing sense of dread as they crossed the boundaries and approached the house.

"Like the way I feel whenever I see Damon," Anna laughed to herself as she walked along. She thought about their morning fight. "I'm hungry," she said to herself, opening her lunch bag and removing the sandwich. _I'm always famished after a good row_, she thought, smiling again.

As she ate, Anna wondered how Damon could have turned out the way he did. In fact, Dowla and Tencha were almost as bad as Damon. A year older than Damon, her sisters were fraternal twins. Anna never found any middle ground with the girls. Cruel and insensitive, they were practical jokers and pitiless toward anything they deemed less than themselves. Whether they were Muggles, magical creatures, or even other witches or wizards from less prominent families, the twins seemed to find fault with everyone.

But then there was Eric. Anna's oldest brother, Eric, was nothing like the rest of the children in the family. Erradole Grayson was extremely charming and immensely kind. Anna had never known anybody as compassionate as her elder brother. She remembered the time when one of the horses she was caring for was about to give birth. Eric had stayed up with Anna in the stables all night and into the morning before the mare delivered. Unfortunately, the colt was stillborn, and Anna was devastated. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever felt so much pain. A part of her simply died on that very cold early morning, and she thought her heart would never recover. Her father tried to comfort her, but he just couldn't understand the depth at which Anna felt this kind of grief. Anna wasn't just feeling the ache from the colt's death; she could also sense the loss within the mother, and the agony in her failure.

No, Anna's father was not the person who understood the things she was able to sense and feel. That awareness was found solely in her brother, Eric. It was Eric who came to her the next night and slept in the stall with Anna and the devastated mare, and Eric who cried with her through all the sorrow, and told her that what she was feeling was a gift and not a curse. Anna sincerely loved Eric for his empathy and willingness to listen. From that moment on, she knew she had somebody in the Grayson family in whom she could confide. During the long school year when Eric was away, Anna sorely missed her big brother. In fact, it wouldn't be long before all the Grayson children would be leaving the family again, leaving for Castlewood.

Castlewood Academy for the Magical Arts was a school set-aside for all the children of wizarding families living in America. Settled in a remote area of Pennsylvania, Castlewood's exact position was a secret to everybody, including the magical community. The reasons for this were never really explained to Anna, but she was sure it had something to do with security from the dark forces around them. There were evil wizards and witches in this world. Certainly the existence of somebody like Damon and, in a smaller way, Anna's two sisters, proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt in her mind.

Anna loved to listen to Eric talking about Castlewood and its Dynasty Unions. Castlewood Academy was made up of five Unions, whose history could be traced back a thousand years, to several countries in the Old World — Europe and Asia. Each Union, at some time, had moved its school to the New World, but over the centuries it became increasingly difficult to keep them out of the way of an ever-increasing Muggle population. Eventually, the five schools came together to establish a new school in the secluded Pennsylvania mountains, and it was there that Castlewood Academy was founded. Anna had only seen pictures of the castle and the five Union walls surrounding the school that formed its ramparts. But she had always hoped to see the school in person, and this was the year she believed it was going to happen.

Eric would be starting his seventh and final year at Castlewood the following week. Anna was hoping she would be allowed to travel to his graduation ceremony the following summer with her father, and watch him receive his Diploma with Merit and Achievement from the school. Eric was an accomplished student, and would surely be looking for Castlewood's top scholastic honors. Graduating at the top of his class was Eric's dream ever since he first arrived on the Castlewood grounds, and his work to date in attaining that goal had been impressive. Anna watched the excitement in Eric growing over the last week as he prepared to return to school, but she could only meet his enthusiasm with an aching dread. Anna was going to miss her big brother, and she already longed for his return over the Christmas holiday.

Anna's father, Boris Edmond Allister Grayson, was master of the Grayson estate. More than just the children's father, Mister Grayson viewed himself as caretaker of the family's security and traditions, and he always took his responsibilities very seriously. Active and energetic, Anna's father had a driving personality. Very tall and broad, he was the type of person who looked exactly like the person he was, a very powerful man who wielded a lot of power in the wizarding world.

Mister Grayson held the post of Ministry Director in the Office of the Wizard and Muggle Banking Cooperation. His post included ambassador responsibilities between the worldwide wizard banking community and their counterparts in the Muggle world. From what Anna could tell, it was an extremely difficult job. The position required a wizard with absolute and accurate knowledge of the Muggle world, and the inner workings of their systems of government, banking, and law. On the other hand, Boris Grayson was responsible for understanding and keeping with the traditions of the various wizard ministries, their banking methods, and international laws governing the wizarding world. It was his job to ensure the transferal of riches, investment, and venture between these two worlds proceeded smoothly and without difficulty. The Banking Cooperation represented the only safe conduit and contact between these two groups. Her father always said it was strange that two such systems, totally oblivious to the manner in which worldly goods were sent and received, should know so little about each other. In fact, it was her father's job to ensure things stayed that way. The two economies were totally dependent on each other in a way only Anna's father truly understood. His position sometimes put him in the center of world affairs and required personal contact with many of the heads of state both in robes and in pinstripes.

But to Anna, Boris Grayson was just her daddy. He was kind and endearing, and Anna loved him very much. They had been through a lot together. This was especially true recently, when it was decided Anna would go to a Muggle school. It was hard for Anna to accept this decision, even though it happened more than a year ago, but there was really no other option open to her. This was because Anna, unlike her brothers and sisters, never received her invitation to Castlewood after her eleventh birthday. In truth, nobody in her family expected an invitation to arrive like it did for all of the other Grayson children, because, since her birth almost thirteen years ago, Anna had never shown any magical abilities.

This, however, wasn't the case for her brothers and sisters. By the age of five, Damon was flying about the estate on his door. Unlike most of the European wizards and witches, most Americans didn't use brooms for their transportation. They used various doors instead. Just as handy and well-disguised from Muggle scrutiny, Americans it seemed, preferred the conveniences of standing as well as sitting while they traveled. And, on the occasion that a Muggle might notice something abnormal, it was easier to explain a swinging door than a broom hopping about a room on its own.

Anna's sisters were also showing increasing magical capabilities at a very early age. Gabby still talked about the footprints that had to be washed off the walls and ceilings as the young girls ran about the house playing with each other. But there were no magical games of fun where Anna was concerned, and maybe that was the root cause of all the trouble between herself and her siblings. Over the years they tormented her at every opportunity, knowing it was impossible for Anna to defend herself. Her father and Eric did their best to keep their torments in check, but they couldn't be there all of the time, and Anna paid the price. Many were the times she had found herself waking up stuck to the ceiling of her bedroom. Then there was the time Anna was left in the forest buried up to her neck in mossy dirt, held down by one of the enchanted trees in the backyard. It seemed Damon, Dowla, and Tencha thrived on causing her pain and suffering. But the worse part of their torments came only recently when they started school at Castlewood. It was almost as if they wanted to isolate her from the rest of the wizarding world and keep her existence a secret from all who might find out the Graysons had a squib in the family.

"Squib…" Anna said to herself resentfully as she continued her long walk toward the bus stop. She hated that word. Although Damon's recent efforts to segregate her didn't have the effect he had hoped, just the existence of this word alone set her painfully apart from the rest. "How could this have happened to me?" she asked herself, rounding the final corner to the front gates.

The huge iron gates at the Grayson entrance began to swing aside as Anna approached. Each door had an intricate metal outline of a horse and the letter "G" woven into the center of the figure. As Anna stopped to look at the horse, she could see it galloping at a very slow and enchanted pace. It was this place, this very spot, where the differences between Anna and the rest of her family became most obvious to her. Looking at the moving horse on the gate, she looked down at her feet. She slowly raised her right foot as if to take another step, but stopped and looked up again at the horse. It was still running. Anna stepped forward and just as her foot touched the ground on the other side of the gate, the horse froze in mid-stride. Anna smirked.

She lifted her right foot again, this time pulling it back and placing it next to her left once more. The horses instantly began running again. Anna slowly leaned forward keeping her feet in place until she found the exact spot outside the gate where the horses stopped and started their galloping race.

"This is my real home," Anna whispered to herself. Stuck between two worlds without any magical abilities, but possessing full knowledge of magic's existence, she represented something truly rare in the wizarding world. She was a squib, a powerless Muggle born into a family with a very strong wizarding heritage. How could this have happened to her? Anna's father was an immensely powerful wizard, and from what he had told her about her deceased mother, Victoria Grayson was also a gifted witch in her own right. So how could it have happened? Why was Anna so different?

Anna stood there, looking dejectedly at the now frozen horses on her left and right. She continued to walk ahead, and she could hear the iron gates behind her squeaking as they closed. _Clang,_ they sounded as they locked themselves tight. Anna stopped and turned around. The gates and the horses were still.

"What? Can't you perform your little dance for a squib?" she yelled resentfully at them, crossing her arms. "I guess we Muggles aren't good enough for you!" she hollered. Still nothing. "Fine!" Anna shouted angrily.

She took a step backward and then stopped, her arms still crossed in indignation. She took another step backward, bringing her feet together and stopping to wait again. She sneered. She took another step back, and the gates suddenly began to ripple and distort, as if giving off an immense measure of heat as they faded into invisibility. They were gone now, and in their place lay two very large dead trees forming a barricade. This is what the Muggles saw as they approached the Grayson estate. The only reason Anna could see the gates at all, or the house for that matter, was because her father had placed a charm upon her, which countered the spells that existed on the grounds. Apparently, this Muggle needed extra help to live with her own family.

Anna stood there looking at the trees barring her path to the house above. "Good," she said as she adjusted her book-bag on her shoulder, "I think you look better that way anyway!"

_Beep-beep,_ a horn sounded behind her.

"The bus!" Anna snapped, turning around to look. She dashed down the dirt road and the last hundred yards to the final bend to the street below. There, with its red lights blinking within a curl of black smoke, was the Muggle school bus. When the driver saw Anna running down the hill, he smiled and opened the swinging door with a loud slap.

"Good morning, Anna," sang the driver in a happy voice.

"Hi, Mr. Anderson," Anna panted, leaping onto the open steps and pulling her book-bag off her shoulder. "Well?" she said, breathlessly. "What's the word?" She was staring at him with anticipation.

"She had eleven!" said the driver, beaming with delight.

"Eleven? Eleven puppies? That's wonderful!" Anna shrieked, leaning over to hug the man. "Are they okay? When can I see them?"

"Any time you like, Anna. Just give the missus a call when you think you'd like to come up," he said. "They're all healthy scalawags, eight girls and three little rascals. I believe their mother is going to have her hands full with them," he said, with some worry moving on his face.

"Well, if they're anything like their father…" Anna said, nodding her head in agreement. She smiled and touched his elbow, "I'll call Mrs. Anderson tonight about a visit," she said, in a lowered voice. Anna started moving toward the back of the bus as Mr. Anderson closed the door. She found a seat and sat down.

"Hi, Anna," said a girl sitting in the seat in front of her.

Anna looked up, "Oh… hi, Teres," Anna replied. Teresa Flemming was another girl who lived in a large house at the bottom of Grayson hill. She was nice enough, but Anna had been doing her best to avoid her during their first week of school. Anna knew what was coming next.

"So, did you ask your father about the sleepover?" the girl asked, adjusting her position excitedly.

"Yeah, I did," replied Anna, searching for a nice way to tell her what she had to say. "I'm sorry, Teres. He said… no."

"No? Really? But… why?"

"Well," Anna started slowly, "he said he would be traveling for most of the next month and he wouldn't be able to be there to watch over us," Anna said, hoping that would end the discussion.

"Ohhhh…" said Teresa, sticking out her bottom lip enough to show her disappointment. But then a smile started to form on her face once more as she spun quickly around again. "What about Eric?" she asked, with a newly lit face. Anna knew how Teresa felt about her older brother; the girl had a crush on Eric longer than Anna could remember.

"No," Anna replied, with a grimace, "he'll be leaving for school again next week."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot. Oh well, maybe next time, then," the girl said disappointedly, as she turned in her seat to face front. Anna hated disappointing Teresa, especially since she had taken the time to arrange several overnight parties throughout the neighborhood. But it couldn't be helped. How could Anna possibly arrange for a Muggle visit into her home? What would her friends at school say if they ever saw Gabby running around the house? It was for the best.

As the bus started down the road again, Anna's mind began to wander. She could see the trees whizzing by them, and then noticed her reflection looking back at her in the window. Anna was a very pretty girl with shoulder-length red hair and very clear white skin. She was a bit taller than the average girls at school, with beautiful green eyes and very straight teeth. Anna sighed as she looked at her own reflection. _Most girls would be happy to be me,_ she thought to herself. But then again there are very few Muggle girls who knew anything about the magic around them. She wondered if it would have been better if she hadn't known anything about the wizarding world. It was unfair to know so much, without the ability to take advantage of this knowledge. To her, it was like looking at the biggest Christmas present under the tree without ever being able to open it.

Anna began thinking about her mother. Victoria Grayson was her father's second wife. His first wife, Leola Grayson, had died very young after Damon's birth. "Humph!" Anna grunted. _No surprise there. Who wouldn't die after giving birth to __**that**__,_ she thought to herself, rolling her eyes. The death of Victoria Grayson was still very much a mystery to Anna. All she knew about it was that her mother had been out hiking with her father in a remote area of Europe. Her father had told Victoria he didn't want her to go, especially since she was about to give birth to Anna, but her mother insisted. Apparently, she fell while on the trip and, by some unbelievable miracle, Anna was saved after her mother died. But why would any mother go running off in the woods nearly nine months pregnant? It never made any sense to Anna, and these questions added to her frustration about being a Muggle. Could the way her mother died have anything to do with Anna being born a squib?

Anna's father never allowed her to act like she was anything less than his other children. In fact, Anna considered herself extremely lucky to have a knowledgeable parent when it came to the ways of the Muggle world. Most wizards knew almost nothing about Muggles, or anything about the way they live their daily lives. This is especially true in the Old World. She remembered the time when the Graysons were entertaining another member of the wizard ministry, a man by the name of Arthur Weasley. Mr. Weasley was from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office in London, England, and was supposed to come for a simple dinner. He ended up staying the entire night. She thought the man would never leave their house, especially after he found out Anna went to a Muggle school.

"Blimey," he said, "a Muggle school? Extraordinary! Do you think I might be able to visit the place?" He proceeded to ask Anna a series of endless questions about the school, her friends, and their families. It wasn't until Mr. Weasley overheard Damon talking about Muggles in his normal insulting manner, that the ministry worker realized he had overstayed his welcome and finally left.

Mister Grayson had taken great care to ensure Anna had what she needed to be successful in the non-magical world. He felt it was his duty to secure her future, and if that meant getting closer to the Muggles to do it, so much the better. In fact, it was her father's study of Muggles on Anna's behalf that eventually lead to his success in his banking post at the Ministry. His knowledge and abilities had proven immensely valuable to both Muggles and wizards alike.

Anna noticed the bus starting to slow and it finally rolled to a complete stop. Three more girls stepped into the aisle. It was Veronica Drummond and her two sidekicks, Polly Peterson and Connie Bains. Veronica was a very pretty girl, and very popular with all the boys at school. Always immaculately groomed, her hair was pulled back in a nice braid, delicately woven and held together with blue clips to produce the perfect effect around her attractive face. Pretty as she was, Anna found her to be rather snooty and snobbish for somebody so young. In many ways, she reminded Anna of her sisters.

"Good morning, girls," chirped Mr. Anderson in his ever-so-jovial way.

"Yeah… right," moaned the Drummond girl, in a grumpy-testy tone of voice.

Polly and Connie walked by without saying a word, but Veronica stopped next to Anna's seat and looked down. "Nice hairdo, Grayson. Did you do that on purpose… or just wake up that way?" she laughed, and then stepped around to sit in the seat directly behind her while the other two girls giggled between themselves.

Anna instinctively moved her hands to her head and tried to comb her fingers through her hair. There was definitely something wrong. She turned to the window again looking for her reflection, and what she found looking back surprised her. All the hair on the right side of her head had been pushed up and over onto the left side. The red clip Anna had placed in her hair that morning had moved itself around to the other side of her head and tried to restyle her hair again. It had done a very poor job. As the girl sitting behind her had suggested, it looked as if Anna had awoken late and hadn't bothered to brush her hair at all.

"You silly, stupid thing!" Anna whispered angrily as she made a grab for the clip. Sensing it was in trouble, the hairclip jumped off the side of her head with a loud _POP,_ and fell onto the seat next to her. Before Anna could grab it, all the hair piled on top of her head fell down into her face. Looking down at the seat through a curtain of red hair, Anna turned around and started swatting at the clip, trying desperately to catch it. "Come back you… oh… when I catch you…" Anna said, in a fury. "Come back here!"

"Whom… are you talking to?" Veronica asked, in a scoffing tone. "I must say, Grayson, you get weirder every time I see you," she said with a chortle, looking over at her friends.

Anna froze and then looked up at Veronica behind her. She could barely see her through all the hair now dumped in front of her face. Anna didn't move a muscle as her eyes darted around still looking for the clip.

"Now that's a style you should stick with, Grayson. It suits you better than anything else I've seen you wear," Veronica sneered, looking again at her two friends sitting across the aisle. They all started laughing madly. "I tell you, Anna," the girl continued through her amusement. "You sure know how to perk up a Monday bus ride." They all continued to laugh.

Anna turned around in a fury and started pulling her hair back behind her head. "Do you have a rubber band?" she asked Teresa, who had turned around to see what all the commotion was about.

"Uh… yeah… sure… hold on." Teresa reached into her bag and started fumbling through its contents. "Here you go," she said, holding out the little pink ring.

"Thanks!" Anna huffed, jamming the rubber band between her teeth while she finished pulling her hair back. When she finished, she started glancing around her feet looking for the clip again.

"Hey, Grayson, does this belong to you?" came the same irritating voice from behind her again. Anna spun around to see Veronica holding up her red hairclip.

"Yes it is… give it here!" Anna demanded, reaching out to take it from her. The girl snatched back and then looked at the clip more closely.

"Where in the world did you ever get such an ugly, horrid thing like this?" the girl asked, mockingly. "I've seen better looking ornaments on a clown." The girls next to her started snickering again.

Anna's face flushed in anger. She stared at the clip in the girl's hand and back into Veronica's smiling face. Anna looked at the clip again. "Are you going to let her talk about you like that?" she said, in a low whisper that only the girl, or the clip might hear.

Veronica stopped laughing and frowned. Her eyes moved away from Anna and then to the clip in her outstretched hand. When her eyes returned to Anna, her frown had transformed itself back into an ugly grin. Undoubtedly thinking Anna had lost her mind, she turned to say something to the girls next to her when it happened.

The little clip in the girl's hand suddenly popped open by itself. Veronica's attention jerked back to the clip, her frown set once more. She could clearly see the clip's sharp metal points, like so many tiny little teeth, sparkling in the light. Then, to her unbelievable surprise, the clip snap closed again on the end of her finger.

"OUCH!" Veronica yelped, as she grabbed the clip with her other hand and tried to pull it off. But the little clip was latched tight. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" the girl barked, shaking her hand wildly over her head.

Another _snap_ was heard, and this time Veronica howled. Polly and Connie immediately stopped their happy laughing, and shot across the aisle thinking to help. _Snap! -Snap! -Snap! -Snap!_ Again and again, the clip nipped and bit wildly at the other girls reaching in to rescue their friend.

"Ouch!"

"Aaaaaahhhh!"

"What? Oh!"

"Ouch!" All three girls were now hollering in pain.

Finally, Veronica made the mistake of trying to pull the clip off her thumb with her teeth.

_SNAP!_

Anna looked up, and to her surprise saw the red clip had latched itself onto the end of Veronica's pretty little nose. The girl bellowed in agony as she stared horrified down her muzzle cross-eyed at the thing growling on the end of her snout. Her hands were flailing wildly on either side of her head not wanting to put her sore fingers anywhere near the biting thing. She swatted at the clip with the back of her hand, which dislodged it from the end of her nose and into the air. Anna watched in astonishment as the clip flew up, hit the ceiling of the bus with a light _tink_, and then fell back down upon Veronica's head.

"Where is it? Where did it go?" Veronica wailed, tears of pain pouring down her face. Not knowing whether to sit or stand, she began screaming at her friends. "Where is it… where is it?" Another loud _POP_ was heard, and the three girls froze. Anna watched Veronica's eyes slowly moving up in perfect unison with her shoulders, which were scrunching their way toward both sides of her ears. All was quiet while everybody stared apprehensively at the top of the girl's head.

_Snap-snap-snap,_ went the little red clip, and Veronica started screaming louder than ever before. Her hands were now pulling wildly at her own hair, desperate to free herself from her tiny attacker. Screams from all three girls were now filling the bus.

"Say… what's going on back there?" yelled Mr. Anderson from the front.

Anna spun around to see the driver looking back at them from his rearview mirror. She looked back at Veronica again, only to see the blue clips and bobby pins, once nestled so neatly in the girl's own hair, flying out in every direction. She let loose an ear-splitting yowl of pain, while the other girls pulled and yanked at her hair, trying frantically to help. Finally, there was another loud _POP_, and Veronica immediately jerked one of her hands out and toward Anna's face, screaming still louder. The clip was holding on to the end of the girl's finger again, shaking and growling intensely. Anna reached out and snatched the clip away and jammed it into her pocket.

"Thank you…" Anna said, in a singsong little voice. Veronica was now lying back in the corner of her seat against the window with her fingers buried in her mouth. Her once pretty hairdo was now a complete mess, sticking out in all directions around a very wet and crying face.

The bus finally stopped in front of the school, and Anna was the first to stand and head for the door. Mr. Anderson was now moving to get past her in the aisle, looking for the source of all the screaming. Anna stepped out onto the sidewalk and immediately headed toward the front of the school. She could still hear the girl squawking like a plucked goose somewhere in the bus behind her.

As Anna walked, she pulled the red clip out of her pocket and brought it up to her eyes. "I should be angry with you… you know that, don't you?" she said, in an angered whisper. The clip was still. "Oh sure, _now_ you're quiet." A delay, and then the little clip popped open again. Anna smirked and considered the circumstances. She then slid the clip back into her hair, where it closed again with a sharp _snap_. Anna patted the clip next to her head, and then pulled open the doors to the school entryway. Looking back at the bus, she could see several students stepping down onto the sidewalk, laughing and giggling as they looked back. Apparently, Veronica was still howling.

Anna reached up to check the clip once more. "All is forgiven," she said, smiling, as she walked inside. "Gosh… I'm famished."

18


	3. Cigam Draziw

Chapter 3d015— Cigam Draziw

Chapter 3

Cigam Draziw

Mr. Bernard S. Heidelbach, Chief Financial Officer of Westfront International Investment Group, stepped out of his taxi in front of its downtown Chicago destination. As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he looked up at the fifty-story high-rise office building looming before him. He was impressed. The imposing structure looked like it was made entirely of glass, and gave no hint of its structural inner workings.

As he dodged the late afternoon pedestrians crossing through his path to the front door, the man noticed how hot it was. _It's late August; of course, it's hot, _he thought to himself. An inner voice answered back, _Yeah, but it's not the heat making you sweat._ The little voice he rarely listened to was right. Despite the oppressive and blistering temperatures radiating off the sidewalk baking the city's walkers, Heidelbach knew his discomfort was due to the significance of the meeting he was about to have with the individual he had made an appointment to see only that morning.

He crossed the sidewalk and entered the building through its massive revolving doors. As he walked into the lobby, a cool air-conditioned breeze hit him full in the face, which did nothing about his uncomfortably tight collar and the sweat rolling down his back inside his suit. As he walked forward toward the empty hallway in front of him, the man's nervousness confirmed his problem was anxiety more than the temperature outside. He was worried. He might very well be making a terrible mistake in his approach to his appointment this afternoon. But he needed to understand what was happening. He wanted some answers. He needed somebody to explain what he saw yesterday.

Crossing the immense marble floor, the clacking sound of his leather shoes echoed in the space around him, making it sound like he was part of a larger group. He wished it were true; he could use some help for what he was about to do next. He finally stopped and looked up at a colossal rolling archway above him. Curving round the arch were the words, _Cigam Draziw and Associates_. He sounded out words, "Ke-gum Dra-zoo. Definitely the right place," he said apprehensively, to himself. He straightened his tie. He passed beneath the archway and toward the brass elevators waiting on the other side. As he pushed the button and waited for the car to arrive, Mr. Heidelbach realized he didn't know what floor button to press. He hurriedly reached inside his coat and pulled out a small address book as the elevator doors opened with a snap. He stepped into the car, looking at the name and address of his appointment; he didn't have the floor number.

"Great!" he said, irritated, as he turned to look at the dark buttons on the panel before him. _Which floor?_ he thought nervously. "Well… he is the Chairman of the bank, isn't he? So that would put him on — the top floor." He pushed the button highest up and to the right on the panel. The button's light glowed bright, but nothing happened. He pushed it again… still the elevator doors would not close. "Hmmmm, now what?" he said, looking at his watch to confirm the time.

"Yes, sir. May I help you?" asked a pleasant voice from above. Mr. Heidelbach spun around quickly.

"Ahhh — yes, please. I'm looking for the office of the Chairman. I have an appointment," he explained, still looking for the source of the woman's voice. He saw a small black and white monitor in the corner of the ceiling to his right with a young woman's face looking down at him.

"What is your name, sir?" asked the woman sharply.

"Oh, of course… Mr. Bernard Heidelbach of the Westfront Group," he answered, turning to face her image squarely.

"Hold on, Mr. Heidelbach, let me confirm your appointment with Mrs. McConnell, the Chairman's executive assistant," she said, and then the monitor went black with a click.

After about thirty seconds, the man began rocking back and forth on his feet and inspecting the walls of the car around him. _Stay calm_, he thought to himself, _think of something totally unrelated_. "Hmm, real bird's wood," he said, focusing on the walls again inside the car. "Very nice; stuff goes for about two hundred dollars a linear foo..."

_Click_

"Mr. Heidelbach?" came the voice from the ceiling again.

"Yes…" the man replied with a jolt. This time the woman looking down at him was displaying a very nice smile as she spoke.

"I am very sorry for your wait, sir. I have confirmed your appointment. Please stand clear of the elevator doors, and I'll bring you up directly to the Chairman's suite. Would you like some coffee or some tea perhaps? Have you eaten lunch?" she asked amiably, with that unrelenting smile.

"Ah — no. I'm fine, thank you. You say I'll be going directly to the Chairman's office from this elevator?" he asked, stretching his neck forward as if to hear her more clearly.

"Yes, sir. Mister Grayson occupies the entire top floor."

"Okay… well then — that'll do," he finished, as he turned to face the doors again. There was a sharp click from behind him, and then a long low buzzing noise. A strong sense of fear began to overtake him as he waited for the elevator doors to close. He allowed his eyes to focus down the hallway from which he had arrived, and realized how strange it was that he hadn't seen anybody else in the building.

The doors slammed with a thud, which snapped his focus back inside the car again. He could feel a slow build up of speed as the elevator began to rise. Then he felt a strange sensation of floating, which made him extremely dizzy and slightly nauseous. He immediately stuck his right arm out to lean against the wall of the car. The dizziness made him feel very warm again, as cold sweat began pouring into his shirt collar. The car's walls seemed to blur and distort slightly in front of him, adding to his wooziness. He closed his eyes and leaned harder against the wall. Finally, the car began to slow and eventually stopped. He immediately stood straight and forced his eyes open. He looked at the display above the door and saw he indeed had arrived at the topmost floor. Mr. Heidelbach wiped his forehead with his handkerchief, flattened his hair and adjusted his tie again. He was as ready as he could be. The doors opened.

He stepped into an opening nothing at all like what he expected. There were no windows in the immense space. He thought how strange this was, considering he was on the top floor of an executive suite. The view outside overlooking the city must be fantastic. It was odd that a person in Mister Grayson's position wouldn't take advantage of his picturesque location. But compared to what he had recently witnessed, Mr. Heidelbach realized his definition of strange had changed considerably over the last forty-eight hours.

The space was enormous, but clearly partitioned into several unseen areas surrounding what looked like a formal boardroom. A very large highly polished black oval table sat in the middle of the space surrounded by at least fifty chairs. In front of each chair, sitting on the table, was a large stone bowl, large enough for an individual to wash his hands. Although the bowls definitely added to the mystique of the setting, Mr. Heidelbach couldn't think what in the world they would be used for. At the head of the table, opposite from where he was standing, stood a black stone podium. Behind the podium sat a heavy desk with a small reading lamp and several old scrolls stacked neatly across the table's top. A black leather chair was pushed against the desk, and at least ten television screens of various sizes were built into the wall behind it. They were all dark.

The room was absolutely spotless and contained four large fireplaces, two on each side of the room, big enough for a man to enter. He thought about how strange it was to have a fireplace in a boardroom, never mind four of this size.

_Humph_… _the Chairman must be cold-blooded,_ he thought with a smirk, as he walked around the perimeter of the office looking at each of the portraits lining the walls and above the mantels.

One picture contained the image of a very prestigious looking gentleman in an ornate frame much bigger than all of the others in the room. Heidelbach knew from the gold etched lettering attached to the bottom of the frame that the person in the portrait was undoubtedly the Chairman's father. He was stern, very gray, and gave the impression of a powerful man both physically and in spirit. His eyes, bright green in color, were seated deep in his face under eyebrows that betrayed the man's original red hair color. The eyes were tilted to the right as if contemplating some far-off memory. Heidelbach was glad the portrait's gaze was not looking directly at him. Those eyes; it would be hard to imagine one surviving the direct stare of a man such as this. He was dressed in what looked like a black robe, but he wasn't a judge. "What is that he's holding?" Heidelbach asked himself, as he leaned forward to have a closer look. "A dark wooden stick — like a baton. Hmmmm… maybe he was a conductor of music," he surmised.

"Screeeeech!" came a loud noise behind him. The man quickly spun around as his heart leaped uncontrollably.

"My God…what?" he said wildly, backing up against the wall as if to protect himself from some unknown assailant. "What in God's name is that?"

It was an owl, a very large animal, sitting in a black barred cage. Its huge eyes focused on where the man was standing. "Now what is that doing in the city?" the man said, as he walked up to the cage and slowly circled its exterior. "Humph! Must be a pet." Then, from behind, he heard the sound of a banging door.

"Sidney! How are you?" Mister Grayson walked into the room at a very fast pace. "Sorry I kept you waiting; blasted teleconference with the Federal Reserve ran over. Should always know to double my scheduled time when I'm working with the government," he said, walking quickly up to Mr. Heidelbach with his hand out-stretched. He shook his visitor's hand vigorously with a huge smile. He was wearing a very dark suit with a white shirt and silver silk tie. Mister Grayson was impeccably gloomed with jet-black wavy hair. He was a lot taller than Mr. Heidelbach had imagined, but then again, most powerful men were.

"How's John these days?" Mister Grayson asked, motioning his guest toward the desk and an empty chair while unbuttoning his suit coat.

"Oh…ahh… he's doing well — thank you. That is, he's well as can be expected under the present circumstances. His wife has been ill," Mr. Heidelbach informed him, nervously.

"What? Really? I hadn't heard. It isn't serious, I hope?" Mister Grayson said, opening a cigar box on the desk. "Have one?" he asked, tilting the box toward him.

"No, thank you, Mister Grayson," Heidelbach answered, contemplating how he should start the serious part of their conversation. "Sir… I've come to you with some important concerns, and I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I'll get directly to the point."

"Ahh…" Mister Grayson interrupted, "a man respectful of my time — now that's a rare find indeed. Frankly, I was a bit concerned when I heard you wanted an appointment on such short notice. If there were any problems with our doing business together I would have thought John would have come to me directly. This illness with his wife must be very serious," he finished, in an assuming tone.

"No, sir," said Heidelbach, "John…. er…. I mean Mr. Landers doesn't know I'm here today. As a matter of fact, he told me to drop the matter entirely, so you can imagine the risk I'm taking in coming to you anyway."

Mister Grayson frowned. "Well, Sidney, I think I might have to re-examine my opinion about you. Going against the wishes of your bank's President can be a very serious matter. I only hope what you've come here for is worth the risk you're taking. How can I help you?" he asked, putting down his lit cigar. He laced his fingers together in front of him and leaned forward with a confident smile. "What's the matter, Sidney?"

"Well, sir, as you know, the investors represented by your firm have come to us recently with a substantial amount of — ah — equity. The quantity alone should have raised several alarms in our firm, but they didn't, despite the," and here Heidelbach paused, looking for the right words, "method of disbursement." The man continued, "But, then again, there were never any questions about the source of this equity flowing into my company either. That concerns me, Mister Grayson, and frankly I didn't reach the position I have in my company by letting this kind of detail slide by me without full disclosure."

"Equity? Methods of disbursement? Full disclosure?" Mister Grayson repeated with a frown. "What are you talking about?"

Heidelbach leaned forward. "Gold," he said, with wide eyes. "The disbursement of the equity was done using commodities — in this case, your people brought us gold."

"So… is… that a problem?"

"Frankly, yes. In the quantities that we're talking about — yes; I think it should have raised a number of questions. After all, one doesn't normally see this kind of commodity in the amounts your investors have shared. Where does the gold come from?" Mr. Heidelbach asked, longingly. His face appeared strange, almost expectant of a lie.

Mister Grayson picked up his cigar again without saying a word. He took a draw, and then leaned back and blew out a long steady stream of smoke before answering. "Where the gold comes from, Sidney, is a private matter between myself and the people I represent. Surely you can understand that? This part of the world comes to me because they trust me; they've put their faith in me. They know I will keep their privacy secure because… their safety" he leaned forward and dipped his ashes into the glass bowl in the center of his desk, "is most important to me. I will go to any length, you understand, to insure their trust. Do you understand?" Mister Grayson's eyes were now staring down at Heidelbach with unquestionable authority. It reminded him of the man in the portrait over the fireplace.

Mr. Heidelbach leaned back. "Yes, sir. I do understand — and that is, essentially, Mr. Lander's view on the matter as well. But again, I'm not the type of person who lets unanswered questions affect the security of my firm. I also have a duty to those who have entrusted our company's financial welfare with me. I checked into some of your investors, Mister Grayson," the man declared, with a marked change in his tone. It was now cold and direct.

"What?" Mister Grayson replied, in shock. "What's that you say? How dare you?" he replied, in surprised indignation. "What gives you the right to invade the privacy of those…." but he was cut off.

"Yes — yes," Heidelbach interrupted, "I've acted outside my normal boundaries. But what I found shocked me, Mister Grayson. I found something — beyond imagination," he said, looking around the room nervously before turning to face him again. "I've seen things… that defy explanation," he finished, in a much-lowered voice.

Mister Grayson put out his cigar, and sat straight in his seat, his hands clenching the arms of his chair in controlled rage. "Seen things?" he said, through tightly clinched teeth.

"Yes," explained Heidelbach. "You see, I decided to look into the source of this wealth, and was troubled to find no explanation for it. Well… you can imagine my surprise. I even tried to verify the information of these so-called investors of yours — names, addresses, background checks, etc."

"Background checks?" Grayson repeated, now applying so much pressure to the arms of his leather chair that it was beginning to emit groaning clicks under his nails.

"I could only find information on two names," Heidelbach continued. "The first was the Worsten family in Massachusetts. I made a visit to a small suburb outside of Boston, and ended up spending two days searching a remote area of woods. It was there that I finally found them." He paused, and then, "Mister Grayson — do you know these people?" Heidelbach's eyes were focused on his lap, listening for a response.

"No — not personally — no," Mister Grayson answered back.

Heidelbach continued his tale, "The things I saw there in the woods, Mister Grayson, astounded me so much that I never allowed myself to be seen. I continued to watch them all day there in the cold woods and I saw them…" he stopped suddenly, his eyes still down, not looking at the man seated across the desk in front of him. "I saw them flying!" His eyes shot forward, looking directly into Mister Grayson's face. Grayson matched his stare for a while, and then dropped his focus toward the desk drawer in front of him. He glanced back up at Heidelbach, saying nothing.

"Did you hear me, Mister Grayson?" asked Heidelbach, who didn't seem at all surprised by Grayson's lack of reaction to what he had just said. "I said they were flying. Zooming around on the doors of their house. I saw furniture and rugs being cleaned in mid-air without anything to hold them up, and individuals appearing and disappearing from out of thin air. I then found the second investor who goes by the name of Clouts in Hampshire, England. And what I found there was much worse. He was… cohabitating… with indescribable creatures."

There was a very long pause before Heidelbach finally stood up. "Who are these people you represent, Grayson? What are they?" he suddenly shouted, leaning over the desk in front of him.

"Sit down!" Grayson bellowed, with a look of stern warning in his eyes. He then took a deep breath to calm himself, and reached up to pull down the knot of his tie. He then slumped back into his chair again. "Please Sidney… have a seat," he said, motioning to the chair behind the man once more. Heidelbach sat down.

"I reported my findings to my President, of course," Heidelbach said, in a matter-of-fact tone. Then he looked up to meet Grayson's gaze again. "His response was much the same as your own. He already knew. He didn't say that, but I could tell he already knew what these people were, and he verified this knowledge by telling me to drop the matter and forget what I saw. But I had to come here today and tell you personally of my findings. I had to see the look on your face. I didn't know if what I've found in these two cases represent all of the clients you manage, Mister Grayson, but now, from your reaction, I believe they do. What are these things I've seen, Grayson? Who are you, and what are you really trying to accomplish with my firm?"

There was another long pause between the two men, and then a loud bang at the adjoining door as it suddenly flew open against its stops.

"Mister Grayson…" said a growling voice from across the room, "I forgot to have you sign this parchment concerning the ministry's holdings in Bulgaria. I…" the voice immediately stopped. Standing there fifteen feet inside the door was a goblin holding two large scrolls. Standing just four feet tall, the creature was dressed in an old velvet green suit coat with tails and a Colonel string tie. His brown eyes darted up to see Mr. Heidelbach, and then over to Mister Grayson who was now slowly laying his face into the palm of one hand.

"My… apologies… sir, I didn't realize you were entertaining a guest," the creature said, with a nervous smile, his eyes darting back to Heidelbach again.

"My God…!" said Sidney, jumping out of his chair and backing away from the desk. "It's… it's one — one of those creatures I saw in England… with Clouts." He stepped backwards in obvious fear, and suddenly tripped and fell over his own feet.

The goblin looked up at Mister Grayson, "I'm very sorry sir… I had no idea a Muggle was here," he said, a sorrow filled draw overlaying his words.

"It's all right, Greechins," replied Mister Grayson, raising his head to look at him, "completely my fault. Please stay where you are." The Goblin nodded uncertainly, looking back at Heidelbach who was trying to stand again.

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" Heidelbach screamed, finally returning to his feet, "WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT IS THAT THING?" he shrieked, pointing at the figure standing near the door. "It's a demon — some kind of unholy creature from…"

"Now… hold on, sir," challenged the goblin. "I've been in the service of Mister Grayson for many years now. I am one of his most trusted servants. Demon indeed!" he replied, resentfully.

"Sidney," Mister Grayson interrupted, a drawn sadness was in his voice, "your boss, Mr. Landers, is a long time friend and advisor. He has been a trusted Muggl… ah… I mean associate for many years. The information he possesses about me, and the people I represent, is safe. He has proven his openness and ability to accept the things around him for what they really are. Unfortunately, you and I are not at that point in our relationship." Mister Grayson opened his desk drawer and pulled something out, pointing it into the air. Heidelbach recognized it immediately from the portrait of the man holding the same baton-like instrument. He glanced up at the portrait again, and was shocked to see the man in the picture begin to move, now placing that long dreaded green-eyed gaze upon him. He saw the man in the picture point his wooden stick at him.

With a look of horror-filled shock, Heidelbach looked back at Grayson, who was now pointing his stick at him as well. "What is that you're holding?" Heidelbach asked, taking an unsure step backwards.

Mister Grayson sighed. "It's… a wand. I'm very sorry about this, Sidney. I truly am." He stretched out his arm to its fullest extent and shouted, "_Obliviate_!" Mr. Heidelbach's eyes immediately glazed over, and his jaw fell slack. An absentminded and faraway look came over his face, as his whole body seemed to rest on the answers finally delivered to him by the wand's spell. Mister Grayson slumped back into his chair running his other hand through his hair and down the back of his neck.

"What a mess," he said, in a tired moan.

"I am sorry, sir. I should have knocked first," said the goblin

"No — no, it had to be done anyway. It's just… I hate it when I have to do that." Mister Grayson meant what he said. The Director prided himself on being able to correctly maneuver through the high-level negotiations expected of him everyday without the use of magic to push his will upon others. His dealings with the Muggle world had proven to him that, if done correctly, it was far easier to parley his needs across a common set of goals rather than bend the will of everyone with the use of his wand. While putting a spell on somebody like Sidney seemed the easiest way to handle things, Mister Grayson knew this method required on-going work and maintenance. His way of bargaining produced longer lasting results, and freed more of his creative time to pursue the value in his post.

Grayson quickly stood up. "We have a lot of work to do here, Greechins. I want you to move Sidney's things into my private study. I will need to begin probing his memory for any information he's discovered over the last week. I don't want to wipe out everything, so this will take an extended amount of time. I want you to call his boss, John Landers, in New York. Explain what's happened, and tell him I'll be performing another memory altering charm on Sidney immediately. Make sure he understands this was our fault — I don't want him punishing poor Sidney just for being thorough.

"Then contact the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, and the Improper Use of Magic Office. Have them contact both the Worsten family in New England and Clouts in Hampshire; have them get these families in line immediately. It's bad enough they were seen, but they don't even know they were discovered. Stupid amateurs. Have these offices contact me directly in about an hour. I'll probably have more detail about any other Muggles with whom Sidney has shared his information.

"Then I want you to go back and clean up these accounts. A Muggle should never be able to purposely find a wizarding family. Although our friend here is extremely intelligent, I get the feeling we've probably made his job rather easy through our lack of diligence. Check all of the records for any links to our banks overseas. Have Meredith help you; she has the account numbers in her possession. We also need to find another way to transfer assets into Muggle banks other than sacks full of gold." Mister Grayson walked over to his chair and sat down again rubbing his forehead.

"I will take care of everything, sir," said the Goblin, and he turned to leave.

"And one more thing Greechins," Grayson called out. "Have them take another look at my elevator. The spell used to turn it into a port key still isn't right. How am I supposed to have a discussion with my Muggle visitors here in the basement of the estate if when they get here, they're always sick? I almost had to carry Sidney to his chair when I arrived. You will probably get a lot of pretext and complaints about my office and the mix of magic and electricity that we manage here, but I'm tired of their excuses. I want the problems fixed. See to it," he finished, without looking up for a response.

"Yes, sir," replied Greechins, "right away, sir." The goblin left the room.

Grayson looked up, rubbing the back of his neck. Heidelbach was still standing in front of him with a weak smile moving across on his face. "Well, Sidney — lets go," he said, standing up and walking over to the man. He gently took him by the arm and guided him to the door of his private study. "Through here, there's a good fellow," he said, kindly.

"What? Is the meeting over?" asked the Muggle, in a sleepy voice.

"Yes it is, Sidney. Your presentation was first rate. Please come in and let me fix you some tea," said Mister Grayson. He opened the door to his private study and guided his companion into the adjoining room. "Have a seat there on the couch," he said, as he slowly closed the door behind them.

26


	4. Self Realization

Chapter 4d14— Self-Realization

Chapter 4

Self-Realization

Anna stepped off the school bus and headed for the entrance to the Grayson driveway. There was a quick honk behind her as she spun around waving into the air.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Anderson."

The rest of Anna's day had been rather boring. The day's classes were very tedious and uneventful, but Anna was happy for it. She was relieved she never saw the Drummond girl in school or her friends for that matter. In fact, Anna wasn't sure the girls even made it off the bus after that morning's incident. For all she knew, Mr. Anderson might have offered to take them home directly, traumatized, as Veronica seemed to be at the time.

As Anna slowly made her way up the road, she listened to the buzzing insects in the woods around her. She loved to play a game where she tried to imagine how the day went for all the creatures in the forest surrounding the Grayson estate.

"Hmmm… let's see," she said to herself, still walking up the hill, "it looks like mommy squirrel was finally able to push her brood out of the nest in the old elm tree — well — that was good." She smiled, closing her eyes as she walked. "And, yes, the frogs are definitely too fat and lazy to sing for us tonight; must have been a good bug-day. Oh — and the crickets spent the day hopping about without a care in the world." She laughed, as visions of animated crickets with umbrellas began dancing in her head.

And then something completely unexpected happened. Anna suddenly frowned, feeling a slight tug at her unfocused concentration. Her pace slowed and then stopped as her senses, suddenly razor-sharp, reached out into the spaces surrounding her. Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel something in her center yearning to move outward, or maybe it was being pulled, she wasn't quite sure. It felt as if her very soul wanted to stretch itself out and connect with everything that existed around her, the smells, the sounds, the life she could feel pulsating and throbbing everywhere. The desire was too intense to resist, and so, she gave in to the lure of her own sudden awareness.

She took a deep breath and then reached out with her mind. Her vision seemed to sweep out over the ground in a huge growing circle, stretching ever wider to scoop in all the vibrations near her. She didn't exactly understand what was happening, but Anna could sense that what she was doing now was more intuitive than it was mysterious.

And then she heard them, the sound of far off footsteps somewhere ahead of her. They were large heavy footfalls, moving away, then stopping, turning, now moving to her right. Anna opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound in the woods. She tried to listen, this time looking down again into the path below her feet. She couldn't hear anything.

"Hmmm… definitely heard… something," she said, as she continued her walk. She kept her eyes open now, looking into the woods over her right shoulder as she moved up the driveway. Still nothing. _Oh well_, she thought, "I guess it could have been a deer," she told herself, unconvincingly.

Anna looked up and was suddenly startled by a most unexpected sight. There, looming to greet her, more than fifty yards away, stood the iron gates of the estate. Anna stopped and stared in utter amazement. "What's this?" she said, in surprise, as she began walking more hurriedly toward the entrance. She squinted hard; was that movement she saw? She started running up the grade until she was close enough to see.

"They're running!"

Sure enough, the ornate horses on the gates were galloping in front of her. _But… how can this be?_ she thought, shielding her eyes from the sun in disbelief. It was a very odd sight, and then it dawned on her. In all the years she could remember, Anna never before saw the gates from this position. She was standing outside the entrance as a Muggle looking in, and yet, she could clearly see the large iron gates and the horses running upon them. But where was the barrier? Where were the huge fallen trees disguising the Grayson entrance? Normally, Anna didn't see the barrier change into the gates again until she was almost upon them. The charm placed upon her by her father did not counter the spells on the estate until Anna was very close to the entrance or actually inside the grounds. So why were the horses moving before she was inside? What if another Muggle were to happen by and see this? If that were to happen, there would definitely be trouble.

She stepped forward and moved to where the two gates joined in their middle. They began to fall away and open in much the same way they had done for as far back as she could remember. But the horses on the front never moved like this until she stepped inside. Now, walking up to the gate line, she hesitated before stepping across. For a moment, she thought she might see the horses, now in reverse of what was expected, stop their canter, but they did not. They kept moving, taking no notice of Anna's position what so ever. She stepped in and out, back and forth across the gate line, but still, she couldn't get the horses to stop.

"Cool!" Anna yelped, smiling wide. To her, it was like finding a broken toy that was now working perfectly. She slowly stepped between the gates and watched them close behind her. "Well," she said, merrily, "that was different; must be a broken spell," and she laughed in happy satisfaction.

Anna turned and continued walking up the road. For some strange reason she felt immensely pleased with what had just happened, in much the opposite way it had frustrated her that morning. Still, deep down, she knew she had to tell her father about what just happened. Otherwise, they very well could find themselves on the evening news, trying to explain how they got their gate ornaments to trot and run by themselves. Anna frowned at the thought of seeing Damon's pasty white chinless face under the bright lights of a TV camera.

"Eeeewwww, now that's just foul," she shuddered to herself.

A small chipmunk suddenly darted into the road in front of her, quickly followed by a much larger brother. The smaller chipmunk sprinted right, and then started circling frantically, trying to get away from his chasing attacker. Anna stomped her foot, "Hey you!" she shouted angrily. "Leave him alone, you big bully." The larger chipmunk, now seeing Anna looming over him, turned and scampered back into the woods. Anna felt a slight tug at her consciousness again, and closed her eyes to follow the little creature into the forest.

Anna was amazed. She could still see the animal running as the view of him in her mind's eye seemed to get clearer with each passing second. She could see herself catching up to him, getting closer and closer, racing through the woods just a few inches off the ground behind him. "I'm going to catch you," she sang out, with an evil grin. She could see his little body bobbing over and under branches and bushes, occasionally glaring back as if seeing her in pursuit. Still smiling, Anna could see the gap between them slowly closing. Every time he changed direction, she cut off the angles separating them, coming still closer. Now directly behind him, she could see his tiny feet kicking up the dirt as he tried desperately to flee. She watched his brown body blur below her gaze as she swept over the top of him, and for an instant, she might have sworn she could smell the sweat of his effort to escape.

She leaned down and whispered into his ear, "I'VE GOT YOU!" Immediately, the little animal stopped and turned to face her. He unexpectedly leaped forward into her face, baring his tiny square teeth as he let out a sharp squeal of panic.

Anna eyes snapped open with a sharp jolt. She looked around to see she was still standing in the middle of the road. "What in the world… was that?" she groaned, in shocked surprise. _Did I just…?_ But she hadn't finished the thought when she heard another squeal of fright once more somewhere deep in the woods. She stared for a moment, and then slowly started walking again, still listening. Her pace quickened. "You're really starting to lose it, girl," she said, as if questioning her own good sense. Still… it seemed so real. She wondered.

Anna stopped. This time folding her arms across her chest, she lowered her head and closed her eyes again. Once more, she saw herself rising above her body, which she could still see visibly standing in the middle of the road below her. She swooped down low to the ground and reached into the open spaces around her. Probing and listening, she felt as though her mind was traveling at some great speed through the trees and ground cover. She saw a spider lacing a new web, its spinners giving off a soft whirring sound behind its legs. There was a gray squirrel hopping over there, a bee hovering over a flower, a tiny bird dipping for bugs; nothing escaped her gaze as she reached farther and farther out with her net-like mind. But was what she was now seeing real? Anna started to question herself, and she immediately noticed her pace beginning to slow, she was becoming less maneuverable and clumsy. Fearful she might lose the experience, she began telling herself it was true, this was real, and within seconds, the eye of her mind was dashing through the forest floor again at an incredible rate of speed.

And then, she heard them again, those heavy footsteps moving somewhere through the woods. _Where were they coming from? _Her body cocked its head slightly, and concentrated with all its might on that one sound among the infinite rush of noise-filled chaos around her. The thudding beats seemed to be moving aimlessly in circles, tripping occasionally, and then starting again. She focused on just those steps, trying to block everything else out of her mind. It worked; she could hear them clearer now, and she saw the picture in her head turn to follow. When the sound stopped again, so did Anna. She kept her eyes closed and could see herself hovering just a few inches off of the ground somewhere in the woods, waiting for the sound to return. Anna took a long deep breath, and then focused her concentration still harder. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for something to happen, a sound, a sign that whatever it was in the forest was still there. Then she heard a faint snap to her left, and she tilted her head and frowned as she focused on that one resonating twist of wood under somebody's foot. _Where had it come from?_ She saw herself floating slowly in the direction she knew would bring her closer to the answer.

Then Anna heard a different sound, not the thumping of mindless heavy footsteps, but something much softer; it… sounded like a moan. She moved quickly toward this new sound, and as she did, the deep grousing noise started to get louder. It sounded like something whimpering, the echo of a frightened child perhaps, somebody sobbing further in the woods. Anna raced as fast as she could across the top of the ground, searching for the source of the now fearful whines. And then, finally, she found it. It was a woman, rocking in a seated position on the dirt with her head buried in her arms. She was leaning against the base of a tree, sobbing.

Anna's eyes snapped open again. Although she was still standing in the middle of the road, she knew exactly where the woman was located in the forest. She recognized the place she knew well after so many years of playing on the grounds.

Anna raced into the trees leaving her book-bag on the dirt road behind her. She dashed through the thick layers of undergrowth in her path, heading directly toward the spot she thought she knew.

A minute later, Anna stopped; she was very close now. "Hellllooo," she sang into the woods. "Is somebody there? Do you need any help?"

She heard a faint voice reply, "Yes…please… I'm over here… help me."

Anna finally found the poor woman sitting exactly where the picture in her mind told her she would be. She was so shocked to discover the woman really did exist that she didn't immediately offer her any assistance. When the woman finally raised her head to look up, Anna could see she had obviously been crying for quite a while and, judging from the condition of her shoes and clothes, she had probably been in the woods for most of the day.

"Oh thank God you found me," the woman said, through her shining tears. She reached out to Anna as if still not believing this redheaded girl was really there.

Anna helped the woman to her feet and began brushing off the dirt on her clothes. "Are you all right?" she asked, clearly seeing the woman was desperate.

"Ummm, no, I'm not, I…." but she couldn't seem to form the proper words to say what was wrong.

"Are you hurt?" Anna asked, trying to look into the woman's face, "Are you injured?"

"Ummm, no… I — I don't think so," the woman replied, trying anxiously to calm herself, but a rush of birds above them startled the woman into a fit of screaming panic as she turned to grab the tree next to her in terror.

"It's all right," Anna soothed, kindly. "You're all right; it's just a few birds, okay? There's nothing to be afraid of. Let's get you out of the woods and back to the road. Can you walk with me?" The woman took Anna's hand to steady her confidence, and they slowly made their way back to the road. Anna started to realize their Muggle visitor had obviously been the victim of some of the charms and spells surrounding the property. Anna knew these spells became increasing more difficult on any Muggle as they got closer to the house, but if this was the result, a woman lost and totally helpless to exit the property under her own power, Anna would have to talk to her father about changing some the incantations. There had to be a better, less dangerous way to protect the grounds. Perhaps her father could use a coughing spell, or maybe an escalating jelly-legs charm. Anna thought jelly-legs would be very effective without causing the paralyzing fear that kept this woman from departing on her own. She would know; her sister Tencha always loved to cast the jelly-legs spell on her whenever the opportunity presented itself. This was especially true when she caught Anna walking down the staircase.

When they finally arrived back on the path, the woman didn't seem any better than when she was in the woods.

"Do you need to come up to the house?" asked Anna, politely.

"House?" jerked the woman. "W… what house?"

"My house, up there, the Grayson estate," Anna replied, pointing farther up the road. The woman's eyes widened with fear once again.

"No… I can't go up there…. I…. I might get lost again," she said, leaning away in the opposite direction. Her voice was filled with panic.

"It's all right," Anna soothed her, reassuringly. "Perhaps I can walk you back down to the street and help you find your way home. Would that be all right?"

"Yes… please…home…yes…thank you," replied the flustered woman.

As they began walking back down the road, the woman's disposition slowly began to calm, and when the front gates to the estate came into view again, the woman released Anna's hand as if trying to understand why she ever found the need to hold onto it in the first place. Anna worriedly watched the gates swinging themselves open as they approached. She looked at the Muggle, who was apparently staring at the gates as well.

"Well, I suppose we won't be able to walk through that," the woman said, sounding very frustrated.

"Through what?"

"Through those big trees blocking the road, of course," she answered, pointing at the gates in front of them.

Anna looked again and frowned. The anti-Muggle charms must have been working after all, because the woman was seeing something completely different than what Anna saw. The gates were wide open, delivering a clear view to the road beyond, but the woman insisted on traveling fifty yards into the woods to get around the perceived tree-fallen barriers blocking their path. Anna was confused. Why couldn't she, Anna, see the barrier from outside the grounds? She followed the woman around the non-existent trees and back to the road on the other side of the gates. Finally, upon reaching the path again, the woman turned to face her.

"Well… that was incredibly embarrassing," she heaved breathlessly, in a very self-critical tone.

"What do you mean?"

"My getting lost in these hideous woods."

"Oh… well… they're not so bad… once you get used to the lay of the land," Anna replied. The woman seemed somewhat surprised at her response.

"I really don't know what came over me," she explained, combing the fallen pine needles out of her hair. "I really don't. I mean… I've been in the woods many times, but I've never had a reaction like that before. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been lost in my entire life. Well… thank you again," the woman said, sticking out her hand to shake Anna's. "Oh… I'm sorry dear; I didn't even ask you for your name."

Anna reached out and gently shook the woman's hand, "Anna… Anna Grayson," she said, smiling. The woman's eyes suddenly bulged almost as if they were about to pop out of her head. She snatched her hand back from Anna with glared anger.

"You!" she said, in a very curt tone. "You… are Anna Grayson? Well I never –" she said, indignantly. She was definitely upset about something. "My name is Mrs. Rebecca Drummond. I am Veronica Drummond's mother," she said, abruptly. "I came up this ghastly road this afternoon to have a serious talk with your parents about your attack on my daughter on the school bus this morning."

"Attack your daughter? Me? But… that's not what happened," Anna said, defensively. The woman grabbed Anna's hands and turned them over as if to inspect her fingers.

"I don't see any cuts on your hands and face like those I found on Veronica this morning, young lady. I suppose you're going to tell me you were defending yourself against my daughter?" said the woman, turning red in the face.

"No, I wasn't defending myself from her. Nobody was defending themselves from anybody. Let me tell you what happened," Anna said, but she immediately realized she couldn't possibly describe what happened on the bus this morning at all. Anna tried to think of something that would explain how a run-away hair clip could attack a person, but nothing immediately came to mind.

"Well… I'm waiting!" said the woman, her arms folded across her chest.

Anna decided to offer as much of the truth as possible. "Well… you see, Veronica was making fun of my hair, and…."

"And you decided to rip my daughter's hair out by the roots in retaliation?" the woman interrupted, accusingly. "In my book, young lady, there isn't a word spoken that should lead another to violence. I'm shocked your parents haven't taught you this lesson. I'd like to speak to your mother."

Anna gritted her teeth. "She's dead!" she spat, now crossing her arms in rebellion.

"Your father, then," blurted the woman, without a moment's pause to Anna's reply.

"Fine, he's up at the house. Shall I walk you in, then?" said Anna, motioning the woman up the road with an out-stretched hand.

The woman froze, and then slowly looked up the road in the direction of the estate. It was obvious to Anna the woman would never go into these woods again.

"No…I don't have time for this right now," she said sternly. "But hear my warning, little missy. If I ever find out you've put your hands on my daughter again, I'll become the mother you obviously need and turn you over my knee. Do you understand me?"

Anna stared at the woman, totally shocked by her bullying threats. An ugly fury suddenly exploded forward. "How dare you… take the part of my mother, and then threaten me, when you don't know what really happened!" Anna said, raising her voice.

"I know enough about _your kind_ to see you for what you really are," the woman screamed, now at a blaring level. "I'm standing here as a witness to your total lack of respect," she yelled, her face turning bright purple with anger.

That was it. Anna had heard enough about 'her kind' from Damon to take the insult from a total stranger. She stepped up to the woman in a seething rage. "I think… you'd better go now," Anna growled through her nearly closed lips. The woman's eyes widened and began to dart all over Anna's face, as if seeing something horrible for the first time beneath what was once a pretty mask.

"My God!" she said, stepping away from Anna in obvious fear.

Anna paid little attention to the woman's reaction, but more on the fact that she was still standing in front of her. Anna's eyes were beginning to cloud over in a darkening haze. "I said," she seethed, in an almost all-consuming boil, "it's time for you to go!" And then, all at once, as if someone had thrown a switch inside her brain, Anna did not want what she had only just demanded. She wanted the woman… to stay.

An irresistible rush of hunger suddenly swept over her, together with a terrible longing to draw the woman close. Anna's sense of smell erupted forward, cutting her anger with sharp anticipation. Her eyes began darting all over the woman's body, searching longingly for what it needed. A single-minded focus finally settled at the woman's throat_, there…_ a tiny voice whispered to her, _a quick strike and then…_ but before she could finish her inspiration, the woman started falling back in complete terror. She stumbled slightly, turned, and began to run down the hill away from her. Anna reached out, but her action wasn't in response to the woman's obvious fear; it was a deeper longing, a starving desire, and the feeling that _it_ was getting away.

When the woman was finally out of sight, Anna's blood seemed to go cold. A very real sense of disappointment and loss swiftly came over her, and she again felt the pangs of starving hunger. She closed her eyes and looked up into the green leafy canopy surrounding her. She slowly drew a small calming breath, and then blew a steady stream of air through her tightly pursed lips. All at once, and as quickly as the feelings had suddenly hit her, they were immediately gone. The longing, the disappointment at the woman's departure, and the overwhelming sense of hunger were snuffed out like a candle's flame behind a cupped hand. But these feelings were immediately replaced by her original thoughts of anger and indignation toward the visiting Muggle.

Anna pivoted quickly toward the gates again. "Old bat — see if I ever pull you out of the woods again," she growled, sarcastically.

She looked up and, as if blindly walking into a darkened cave, Anna's body lurched into what could only be described as a cloud of blackened smoke. It was ice cold and surrounded her head entirely. It had no smell, but seemed surprisingly familiar to her. She stopped and looked around, fanning at the smoke accumulated around her face while searching for its source. And then, as quickly as it was there, it too was suddenly gone. Anna glanced around, but there was no trace of the blackness anywhere. She noticed her eyes ached in the late afternoon sun, as if she had just walked out of a very dark room. Still too angry to spend time standing in one place, Anna proceeded up the road again, heading for the gates. As they swung open again, she could hear one of the galloping horses whinny as she walked by.

"Oh, shut up," she mumbled, crossly.

Anna marched up the road with but a single thought on her mind, her father. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew she had to find her father and tell him about the odd things occurring around her. How could she have seen the woman in the woods without being anywhere near her? There had to be a logical explanation. Her father must have added something to the soup of spells surrounding the grounds. This would also explain her ability to see the gates before entering the property.

As she continued her walk up the dusty road, Anna's thoughts darkened. There was more she wanted to tell her father. There were these new feelings and changes she was sensing within herself. It would seem that over the last few days her ability to hear, smell, and see had somehow increased dramatically. But how could that be, or was it just her imagination?

It was also true that Anna was beginning to push back rather hard against what she felt was a lifelong tide of abuse at the hands of her siblings. Something inside her was changing; she could feel it getting stronger everyday when she awoke, and she was starting to believe it absurd to continue to lie down and let everybody walk all over her. This seemed especially true when it came to Damon.

To Anna, Damon represented malevolence in its purest form. He wasn't just cruel; he could be brutal. While Tencha and Dowla were also quite nasty, their brand of corruption seemed to be based on a lack of maturity than what Damon offered. While the girls were never at a loss to take advantage of a cruel prank at Anna's expense, Damon was more calculating, and iniquitous in his approach. He was cunning, scheming, and ingenious in his methods of doling out embarrassment and sorrow to her.

But Anna's hate toward Damon wasn't just based on his treatment of her, it was also the way he treated everyone around him, but especially the creatures living on the estate. Anna had reached the point where she wasn't going to accept Damon's spitefulness and malice without a fight. She had always felt less than her brothers and sisters because she was a squib, but now she was beginning to refuse this notion. While it was true Anna might always wonder why she was born different, she was starting to become stronger as a person than her siblings in many ways, and she thought she understood the difference. The difference was compassion.

Anna had come to realize what compassion was worth to the rest of the world. To her surprise, she suddenly felt it was something worth fighting for, something more important than even her own physical safety, and it didn't seem to matter what Damon could do to her in retaliation. But she also knew she had to be careful, because there were some very real risks.

Damon was following in her father's footsteps, and even Anna had to admit she could eventually see her brother someday as a very powerful wizard. The things he could do to her was something Anna tried to avoid thinking about as much as possible. But she didn't care, she wasn't afraid of him anymore. She felt the cause of compassion was pushing her onward. It somehow felt like she needed to protect others from people like Damon, and while it might eventually come to her ruin, she was ready to take on this cause. Although Anna was powerless in the wizarding world, she could show everyone she had value, that she had her own brand of power, the power to do what was right and honorable. That kind of strength, she felt, was far superior to what Damon offered from his dark and hidden corner of the world.

Her family was very well known in the wizarding community for its strength of character and magical abilities, and Anna's father had recently extended that influence into the Muggle world as well. And now Anna was beginning to see her place in that world, not as a person too weak to be known as a Grayson, or somebody that needed to be hidden for lack of ability, but as a full contributor in her own right. She wanted to continue the good work her father had started, and bring her own style of compassion and honor to the family. Anna was starting to believe that — yes, even a squib had value.

"Humph!" _Keep your wand, Damon,_ Anna thought to herself, with a note of building pride. _I'll show you what really matters in this life._

As she finally approached the large circle in front of the estate, Anna longed to see her father. She definitely had to tell him about the problems with the spells on the grounds, but, then again, she wasn't quite sure what he should say about the changes she was sensing within herself. While very kind and considerate, her father might set what she was feeling aside as nothing more than just a young girl growing up.

And then it came to her, like a rush of fresh air giving the most obvious answer imaginable. Eric would understand. Her brother Eric would give her the support she knew she needed, and the consideration to listen without being judgmental. She could tell Eric about her heightened senses, and confide in him the changes she felt were coming over her. As she approached the front of the house, Anna decided to limit her discussion with her father to just the important matters regarding the grounds, and seek her brother Eric out for her deeper needs.

Anna looked up at her manor home and smiled. Towering over the grounds, the Grayson mansion was very large with multiple floors displaying an extremely complicated array of old English spirals and bulwark. She always felt the estate looked more like an old European castle than what many of their neighbors might call the _American dream_, but Anna truly loved this magical place. The entire structure was composed of steel-colored granite, and slate shingles encircling many large chimneys poking through the highest parts of the roof. It was a building of such size, that when you stood close enough to the front entrance, it made you feel like the house was now surrounding you. It was crescent shaped, with a large central structure and two great wings standing lower to the left and right. The double front doors resembled a large drawbridge, giving her home the look of nobility and strength.

As Anna approached the front door, she realized how long it seemed the day had been. Her body ached for rest, and was happy to finally be home. As soon as she touched the iron latch of the double doors, Anna heard the whispers of tranquility and peace as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

35


	5. Victoria Grayson

Chapter 5d014– Victoria Grayson

Chapter 5

Victoria Grayson

Anna stepped through the front door and dropped her bag.

"Anna's home, Anna's home, Anna's home," squawked the blue parrot in the entranceway. She ran over to the black sphere on the newel post and hopped up onto the first step.

"Hi, Cookie! Do you know where my father is?" she said, rubbing the top of the heavy ball. A dark green cloud began to form on the surface of the sphere. Light blue flashes like hidden lightning seemed to emanate within its green translucent swirls, which slowly turned to form a face.

"Ye-haaa! Howdy, little lady. Welcome home. The critter's in the kitchen makin' vittles," said the scruffy bearded face, speaking from the surface of the black marble.

"No — no, not Widwick. Do you know where daddy is?" asked Anna, rolling her eyes.

"Oh! Well then — why dit'n ya say so? Yer daddy's in the boardroom yakketty-yakkin wit-dem fraowgs. Hate dem dang smelly ugly fraowgs. Caught em swippen the silver last time they came a-callin. Lousy no-good thieven fraowgs — can't trust any of em."

"Thanks, Cookie," said Anna, and she turned to run down the staircase.

"Take care yer-self little missy — and watch out fer dem fraowgs…. lousy… smelly… good fer nothin'…"

"They're not frogs, Cookie, they're Goblins," Anna yelled back, trying not to laugh.

"THEY'S FRAOWGS! Dirty, smelly, bug-snitchin fraowgs — don't trust em. Keep an eye out — and watch yer back! Greedy dang hobby gobbles," the ghost said, angrily, as his voice faded out of range.

Anna galloped down the twisting staircase three full flights before she finally made it to her father's Ministry floor. There was a very long hallway connecting the bottom of the steps to the door of her father's private study. As Anna walked along the long corridor, she studied the many pictures hanging on the wall of various past members of the Grayson family.

There was Tarson Grayson, her grandfather, from whom everybody said Anna had inherited her green eyes. Then there was Senseless Sarasil Grayson, who had a habit of mindlessly laughing out loud from his portrait for no apparent reason. Anna remembered an occasion six months ago when her father couldn't continue an important meeting through all the noise coming from this hallway. Sarasil's picture had to be removed and placed in the deepest part of the basement until his behavior had improved. He didn't appreciate this kind of treatment, of course, and did everything he could to be a burden on Anna's father ever since. On the quiet evenings following that day, you could hear Sarasil's irritated hooting guffaws, whistles, and animal calls throughout the entire house from his place of isolation downstairs.

"Hello, Uncle Sarasil," Anna said, walking by his frame.

"Hee, hee, hee," snickered the odd-looking man in the portrait.

Then Anna stopped in front of the last portrait next to her father's door, the one she always remembered trying to avoid as a child. The woman in the picture seemed to radiate a sense of dislike toward her, which made Anna feel like an unwelcome guest in her own home. Posing before her, nearly six feet tall was the solemn image of Leola Grayson. Anna stared at the portrait of this, her father's first wife, and the mother of Damon, Tencha, Dowla and her brother Eric. She was standing next to a lit fireplace, holding a closed fan near her waist. The woman was very pretty in a natural way, with long jet-black hair, elegantly wrapped to expose her beautiful pale neck. Her eyes were nearly black, and Anna thought the look on her face was strangely mysterious. Anna couldn't decide if the woman was trying to present a stately manner, or a look confirming she was barely tolerating the world around her. Her cheeks were rather bony, but she was clearly promoting an image of health, vigor, and strength. Her lips were pursed so tightly they were nearly invisible. Anna always thought the portrait delivered one distinct emotion — that of some unknown sense of immense gratification.

Anna despised the portrait. It wasn't the way the woman looked, or because she was the mistress of the house before her own mother. No, it was because the portrait simply existed. There were no portraits of her mother, Victoria Grayson, anywhere in the house. In fact, Anna had no idea what her mother even looked like. She remembered asking her father about her mother many times as a child, but he always refused to speak of her. Initially, Anna remembered thinking he was angry with Victoria, as if her dying was something she had carefully planned and looked to implement without remorse or a care of those left behind. Then there were the years Anna felt as though her father couldn't remember anything about her mother at all. Recently however, Anna had giving up trying to discuss the subject all together, believing she would probably never understand the complicated relationship her mother and father shared. It seemed odd to Anna that her father, a man of great passion and enthusiasm, a man so strongly driven, found it difficult to discuss anything. But his unwillingness to talk about her mother had lead Anna to privately believe they must never have really loved each other at all.

There was another problem with the portrait of Leola standing before her. It was bad enough the first late Mrs. Grayson's picture was here, but there was another one just like it in the family room hanging above the fireplace. That portrait portrayed Mrs. Grayson seated next to the same hearth where the picture was hung, and because the picture occupied the same room depicted in the portrait, the woman seemed to hold a permanent presence within the house that Anna hated; because it was something to which Anna's own mother obviously was not entitled.

Anna looked into the woman's dark eyes. "I have just as much a right to be here as you. I'm a Grayson too, you know," Anna said, trying to show the portrait she wasn't a frightened little girl anymore. She smirked, and then turned to look at the office door beside her. She stepped forward.

She placed her ear up to the oak door, listening for any activity coming from within. She knocked softly, opened the door, and looked inside, but nobody was there. Her father's study was a fairly small space as compared to the rest of the adjoining rooms on his Ministry floor. There were shelves of books on one wall, and scrolls rolled and stacked neatly on the other. There was a desk sitting against a third wall, next to a leather couch and a door, which Anna knew lead to the adjoining conference room. There were no lamps anywhere in the office. Instead, an assortment of various colored globes was painted into the walls and ceilings, which emitted a warm amber light. The glow from the globes gave the room a restful-welcoming feeling, inviting of a nap on the nice couch.

There was a large glass case, which contained several of her father's personal mementoes, including several decorations from the Ministry, a gem incrusted kaleidoscope, Grandpa Tarson's wand, and several old photographs.

Anna carefully opened the cabinet. "Don't touch," warned one of the pictures inside. Anna glanced back over her shoulder to insure nobody would see her, and reached in to point the barrel of the kaleidoscope toward the middle of the room. She then ran her finger down the length of one of its legs, and then tapped it twice. A soft blue light began to glow from the scope's lens and the entire room suddenly exploded in an array of fabulous color.

Various objects of different shapes and sizes began circling and filling every corner of the room around her. They seemed to be painted an assortment of bright colors that faded in and out of focus and intensity. First; there were common shapes, squares, circles, triangles, and then a variety of elongated rectangles. Then the shapes slowly began to change and evolved into different animals, each looking like small cardboard cutouts being carried about the room by children on little sticks. The shapes never seemed to touch anything in the room, but they circumvented and darted around the different fixtures and furnishings like small animals at play. A calm waft fell over Anna's mind like a gentle breeze, and she knew she could sit there for hours watching the beautiful cabaret of lights. She hadn't noticed before, but the glow of light given off by the globes had slowly dimmed, as if surrendering their place to the magic of the kaleidoscope.

And then, "I win," came a voice to her right.

Anna recognized the voice even though it was too dark to see. She spun around quickly, gave the scope two quick taps on the leg again, and watched as the colored shapes in the room were sucked swiftly back into the kaleidoscope's lens. Anna looked around as the warm light from the painted globes began to brighten the room once more. It was Meredith McConnell, her father's secretary.

"Oh… hello Meredith, I was just…ah," Anna stammered. "What did you win?"

The woman was smiling gently as she looked behind her that led into her father's conference room. Anna heard her father's voice on the other side of the door.

"Sorry about that everybody, just a bit of old magic. Thank you, Meredith," said Mister Grayson, as the woman quietly closed the door behind her.

"Oops," Anna said, raising her eyebrows, and forcing a toothy smile. She realized the show of the kaleidoscope had obviously invaded her father's conference room when the secretary had opened the office door. Mrs. McConnell was wearing a dark green velvet robe with a formal lace sticking up like a collar. Her hair was pinned up in a business-like bun, and she was looking over the top of her half-moon glasses attached around her neck with a length of silver chain. She had gray-streaked red hair, which was always pulled up. Anna's father was totally dependent on Mrs. McConnell, as she helped him maneuver through his day-to-day business meetings and appointments. She walked over to Anna, placed the scrolls she was carrying down on the chair next to her, and stood straight again with her hands cupped in front. She was smiling triumphantly.

"I won the bet I had with yer father," she said, with a grin. "Mister Grayson said it would take ye at least a month to figure out how to work the scope, but I said it'd take ye no more than a week," she said, gratifyingly through her thick Irish brogue.

"Ohh," said Anna. "When did he put it in the cabinet?"

"I believe your father placed it there Wednesday-last," she replied.

"Hmmmmm," Anna hummed, looking back at the scope and thinking to herself. "Two days then," she said, grinning back at her father's secretary.

Mrs. McConnell smiled kindly, dropping her chin to look at Anna over her glasses again. She reached over and slid her finger down the scope's leg as Anna had done and, tapping it twice, she tilted her head to look at her. "It belonged to yer grandmother," she said, reverently. The scope burst forth once again in a beautiful array of color, and Anna smiled as she looked across the open spaces to see the transforming shapes dance about the room.

As the lights from the globes began to dim, Anna heard McConnell instructing her, "Now watch." She taped a second leg of the kaleidoscope, and the flattened images floating around the room surged forth and changed into very detailed animals galloping, running, and swimming through the air. Anna cooed with delight.

"Oh… they're beautiful," she sang in amazement, as a purple zebra slowly galloped by her head and then turned green as it leaped over her shoulder. The animals were moving slowly and gently, changing their colors to match the rainbow of possibilities from within the scope.

"Yes," said Mrs. McConnell, watching the scene around them with deep admiration. "Mary — ahhh, I mean, yer grandmother, loved animals almost as much as you, dear," she said, in a longing voice.

"Did you know my grandmother well?" Anna asked, looking at her.

"Oh yes, dear. Yer grandmother and I were very, very good friends. We used to play on the grounds around the estate together for days in the summer months." She leaned forward with a grin and whispered, "I had such a crush on yer Great Uncle Allison." Anna smiled, as Mrs. McConnell straightened again to look back up into the room, the silver in her glasses reflecting the colors around her head.

"Well!" McConnell said abruptly, reaching over to tap the scope once more. The lights in the room suddenly popped on again, as the galloping rainbow around them was sucked back into the barrel of the scope. "So…What can I do for the youngest Grayson," she said, in a returning business-like voice as she closed the cabinet door.

Anna squinted slightly, "I really need to talk to daddy, Meredith. Can you tell me when he'll be finished with his meeting?"

"Ohhh," McConnell groaned in a rather stern tone, "he should have been done long before this, but the goblins from Gringotts are making such a fuss about a few sickles. You'd think they were bargaining for a member of their own family." She grimaced. "It's a good thing they're not. I think those creatures would sell their own mother for a sack of gold," she said, in a sickened voice, shaking her head indignantly. "Go on inside, dear… and wait for yer father in the conference room. Make sure they all see ya too; it'll give yer father a reason to end this."

Anna walked to the door of the conference room and slowly turned the knob. She opened the door just enough to squeeze her body through, hoping not to make a disturbance. Her father, seeing her, smiled and motioned to Anna to sit in a large leather chair against the wall to his right. Those not speaking in the room watched her as she walked over to take a seat.

The room was moderately lit, and her father was standing at the stone pedestal at the head of the shiny black oval table. There were many witches and wizards wearing different colored robes and seated in the chairs around the conference table. They were all listening intently. A light blue fire was blazing out of some of the stone bowls sitting on the tabletop in front of empty chairs, and each had a different face looking into the room through the flames. There were several goblins sitting in a small group at the end of the table, listening to one of the bluish talking heads.

"Alvight," said one of the voices inside the flames with a Russian accent, "ve vill reduce our rates by one half of one percent, and the banks in London vill do the same." There were whispered grumbling sounds coming from the goblin's circle as they began nodding to each other. They were suddenly quiet as they sat back in their chairs. One of the Goblins looked up at Mister Grayson and then to the individuals seated in the room. He nodded.

"Right, then," said Anna's father. "Well, my friends, I believe we can conclude. I'll have Meredith draw together the appropriate scrolls for your final review. Thank you all for coming."

The lights in the room brightened slightly as Mister Grayson stepped down from the podium. The Goblins stood and started heading for the elevator doors across the room, grumbling and seemingly bickering back and forth at one another. The floating heads over each bowl disappeared from view with a slight pop, and the flames over the bowls extinguished themselves as their image disappeared. Mister Grayson was standing by one of the large fireplaces, which was roaring high with bright green flames; he was shaking hands with each of his visitors as they passed him in a line toward the hearth. As each witch or wizard entered the glowing emerald frames, they called out their final destination.

"The Ministry."

"Shepard's Lane."

"Farmstead Drive."

Each then disappeared from view within a gusting _whoosh_ of flame. As the last group of goblins entered the elevator, Anna heard a rush of wind behind the brass doors and they too were gone.

"Finally," said Mister Grayson, heaving deeply and unbuttoning his robes. He turned to face Anna still sitting in the chair. He smiled, and walked over to her. "Hello, sweetheart," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "How was your day?" He sat down in the leather winged-backed chair next to her, pulled out his wand, and waved it above the small table between them. A small cup of coffee on a saucer slowly whirled into view next to a small bowl of fruit on a silver tray. He picked up a spoon on the tray and began stirring his coffee. "Can I whip you up something?"

"No thank you, daddy," Anna said, brightly. "I needed to talk to you about something that happened to me today," she explained, thinking about her walk up the driveway.

Her father studied her. "Oh — I think I know what this is about," he said, in a calm and unsurprised voice, raising his cup to take a sip.

"You do?"

"Yes. You see… I got a message from a Mrs. Drummond this morning," he said, pointing his wand toward one of the television sets in the wall behind his desk. One of the screens suddenly brightened, and Anna could see the back of a woman's head shaking animatedly as she began to speak.

"Hello? Hello… this is Mrs. Drummond, one of your neighbors from down the hill. I wish to speak to you about your daughter, Anna." Anna shuddered at the woman's voice. She tried to remember how Veronica Drummond's mother sounded when she found her lost in the woods, just to keep her blood from boiling over again. "I have two witnesses," the woman continued, "who told me your daughter was seen attacking my daughter Veronica on the trip to school this morning. I have to say I'm shocked that such a thing could even happen on a public school bus, but I'm absolutely livid that a member of your family could stoop to such violence."

Anna could feel her face heating up again. She started to say something to explain what really happened, but her father quickly turned to glare at her. Anna closed her mouth, crossed her arms, and slumped angrily back into her chair. Mister Grayson turned his attention back to the screen.

The woman's head was still turned away as she continued to speak. "I demand that you take immediate action to place your daughter into the care of a professional who can work with her anger management skills. If these steps are taken immediately, I will reconsider pressing charges for this malicious attack."

"Charges?" Anna roared, "Attack? But…Daddy, I didn't…" but this time her father jerked up with a single hand.

"Wait for it…" he said, still watching the monitor. Mrs. Drummond's head finally turned to face the room, and Anna was stunned by what she saw. The top of the woman's hair was stuffed full of pink sponge rollers, which was encased in a very tight net-like bonnet. Her face was covered in a lime green colored goop that made her face look more like a fancy doughnut than a person. Her eyes were bulging out of her head with rage, looking like two very large mushrooms rooted near an open hole that was her roaring mouth.

"I will be visiting your home this morning to see to it that your daughter is properly disciplined for her actions today. Good bye!" Mrs. Drummond finished with a slam and then the picture went black. Suddenly, Anna's father began roaring with laughter, pounding his knee with his hand and stomping his feet in uncontrolled fits of delight. Anna couldn't help smiling, seeing her father expressing a level of amusement rarely witnessed by anybody.

"Can you imagine — waking up next to that?" he said, shaking his head and laughing still harder.

"Mister Grayson — please!" came a voice from the other side of the room. Meredith had walked back into the conference room unnoticed. "Don't tell me you've been watching that ghastly recording again?" she said, as she began picking up the scrolls on the conference table.

"Uh-oh," said Mister Grayson, with a sudden straight face. His eyes darted over to Anna with a slight smile curling in the corners of his lips. "Oh, Meredith, look at the woman…Do you really think she's sane enough to judge Anna's behavior?"

"I don't know…Did ya bother to ask your daughter what actually happened on that bus?" said Mrs. McConnell. Mister Grayson was silent.

"I thought not. And I don't think the Muggles would appreciate knowing yer recording their image when they call in on the telephone," Mrs. McConnell said, indignantly. "There is a matter of privacy to consider." Her eyes moved from Mister Grayson to Anna. "Yer father has been showing that horrible recording to the entire wizarding world today," she said, lifting her chin and glaring at Mister Grayson again in an aggravated _you-should-know-better_ way.

"It's just a simple spell," said Mister Grayson, "I find it easier to understand what the Muggles are trying to say if I can see their face," he finished. Then, leaning over to Anna, he whispered, "It's amazing what the Muggles will do when speaking to one another on the telephone. You can't imagine the things I've seen..."

"Still!" Mrs. McConnell interrupted, still glaring at him.

"Yes — yes — that will do, Meredith. You've made your point," said Anna's father.

"Well, I should hope so," she said, straightening with a number of scrolls in her arms. She turned and headed for the door to the study once again.

Mister Grayson looked over at Anna. He waved his wand over his cup again, which filled instantly. He picked up his saucer and cup and took another sip. "So — what did happen on that bus this morning?" he said, peering over his cup at her.

Anna thought. What did happen? She surely didn't do the things the Drummond woman was accusing her of, but she did have a part. Anna knew that if she hadn't been there, Veronica wouldn't have been hurt. Looking up into her father's eyes, Anna said the only thing that seemed to make sense.

"I was mad," she said, curtly. "I just got so… so…" she hesitated, trying to find the right word to describe how she felt when she saw Damon kicking Widwick, when the Drummond girl was teasing her, when Mrs. Drummond was accusing her. "I just got… so… mad," she repeated, feeling her blood starting to simmer once more. She crossed her arms in a way that told her father this explanation was the best she could offer.

Her father lowered his cup, and his face seemed to show a surprising look of concern more than anger. He set the saucer down on the silver tray, and then sat back in his chair staring blankly across the room. He seemed deep in troubled thought; his finger on one hand tapping the arm of his chair, while his other hand pressed his lips. He slowly turned to face Anna again.

"You know… you remind me so much of your mother," he said, in a soft whisper.

Anna was shocked. It was the first time she could ever remember her father saying something about her mother without her pressing the conversation. Anna stared at her father for what seemed to be an eternity before she realized, unless she intervened, he might say nothing more. She wouldn't let the opportunity pass.

"How do I remind you of her?" she asked him tentatively, trying not to scare him off the subject.

He looked at her slightly surprised by the question. "Oh — in so many ways, Anna," he answered, sinking his head into the chair and looking back into the open room again. "You look so much like her. You may have inherited your grandfather's eyes, but you have your mother's beauty." He rolled his head on the chair and looked at her again. "She was so very beautiful," he said, mournfully.

"Why can't you talk about her?" she asked him, trying to hold off the burning in her eyes.

Mister Grayson raised his head and frowned. Then his eyes sank to the floor, staring blankly into the darkness near his feet. He slowly raised his head again to look at her. He could see the longing in Anna's eyes, the desperate need for understanding, for indulgence, for any information he might now be willing to offer her. At that moment Mister Grayson realized how unfair he had been to his daughter, and, like a man standing before the sentencing judge, he spoke with deep and open remorse.

"I'm sorry, Anna," he said, softly. "I should have told you about your mother. I should have told you more about who she was before…" but he stopped again, and his eyes suddenly widened, "before… now," he finished, in an almost awkward change of tone. Anna got the feeling her father had almost said something completely unguarded, and had stopped himself just in time.

"You loved her, then?" she asked, looking for anything to keep the discussion going. Her father looked at her in surprise.

"Loved her? I more than loved your mother, Anna. I adored Victoria. She was gracious, and delightful, and yes… she was very, very beautiful. I remember how she could bedazzle any man near her — totally disarm even the goblins with her charm." His eyes looked longingly into the room in front of him again, as if remembering something a dying man would summon on his last day.

"Why don't you ever talk about her? I've never heard you speak of her this way before." Her father looked back at her, and Anna could see he was a man obviously struggling with his emotions.

"It still hurts, Anna. You can't possibly know. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of your mother. In the ways most important, I'm still married to Victoria, and… I do miss her… so very much. We lost so many things when your mother left us. I lost a wife and my dearest friend, but my greatest sadness is knowing she would have made a wonderful mother to you. She was really looking forward…" his voice stumbled, "to… being a mother… to being your mother." He looked away and Anna could see him fighting to regain his control. Anna looked down in her lap and could see where her own tears had fallen into her hands. Her father looked at Anna again and, recognizing her struggle, he reached out to her. Anna stood, walked over to his chair, and sat in his lap. She buried her face in his chest and began to weep.

"I'm so sorry, Anna; we should have talked about her long before now. Forgive me. I only now realize how you could miss your mother, even if you didn't know her," he said, stroking her head softly. "Forgive me."

Anna rose up and looked into her father's eyes. "I don't even know what she looks like," she said, through her very wet face. "I've never even seen a picture of her."

Her father smiled. "Well… despite her enormous beauty, your mother was never one for allowing a camera around her. I remember one time I even tried to get her to sit for a portrait, but she wouldn't have any part of it." He smiled again and cupped Anna's chin in his hand. "But I think I was able to sneak a few pictures, despite her threats to turn me into a toad." Anna grinned. "Give me some time; let me see if I can find them for you." Anna nodded, and then hugged her father again.

They sat there together, holding each other close in the warmth of the cozy chair for a very long time. Anna was feeling sad, but immensely grateful. She had learned more about her mother in the last few minutes than in all the time before now, but what was most gratifying was knowing her father loved her mother; more than that, he still loved her. It was all too much to take in. Anna never knew how much the death of Victoria Grayson had hurt her father. She held him close, wanting to help him through his lingering pain. After another length of time, Anna felt her father tickling her ribs.

"You know, my dear, there's still the issue of your 'anger management'," he said, in a high mocking voice, trying to mimic the angry Mrs. Drummond. They both laughed. "Despite the good things I've told you about your mother, there was the matter of her temper, and I'm afraid, my dear, you have inherited that as well," he said, smiling, but his face then drifted into a serious calm. "Anna, we all get upset, and sometimes we get angry… but never allow your anger go as far as… as madness." At this, Anna father seemed to stare through her as he continued to speak. "You must maintain your balance," he said, staring into the distance. "You must… stay your control, because… even the briefest moments of madness can lead… to the loss of one's sanity. Never allow your anger to go that far, Anna. For even touching the edge of madness… is like summoning the abyss," he explained, almost as if in a trance, "a place from which it may be difficult to ever return." There was a very long pause, as his eyes seemed to float away from her again. Then, sensing he had lost his thread, he snapped back to her and smiled. "I hope you understand what I'm trying to say, sweetheart, because it's very important. You must maintain your control," he said, combing his fingers through her hair. "Will you do that for me? Can I count on you to try?"

Anna frowned "I think so," she said, desperately trying to understand the meaning her father's advice.

"That's my girl. You know, I'm really happy we got to talk about your mother. I think we should do this more often — what do you say?" he said, with a happy grin.

"I'd like that."

"Good — well — are we done, then?" he asked, as if ending a friendly business meeting.

"Yes, sir," Anna replied. She hugged her father again, stood, and headed for the door. "Oh," she said, turning again, "I almost forgot. Something else happened today. I noticed I was able to see the gates from the outside of the property. Did you change the spells on the grounds?"

This time her father frowned, "No, I haven't changed anything…" he stopped, suddenly. "Wait a minute — Eric!" he barked, and his face slowly broke into a smile.

"What about him?"

"I recently asked your brother to take over for me in that department. After all, Eric's going to be starting his last year at Castlewood, isn't he? I figured it was about time he took a little more responsibility around the estate." Mister Grayson shook his head, still smiling, "You know your brother, Anna; always thinking he can improve everything he touches. I wouldn't be surprised if he's wiped out all of the old spells on the grounds and started from scratch. He's out and about at the moment collecting school supplies; won't be back until very late tonight. Best to check with him about this in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Anna nodded.

Anna had the sudden urge to tell her father about the odd things that had happened to her over the last several days, and especially the strange way she found Mrs. Drummond in the woods, but she could see her father looked very tired. Besides, she had already decided to talk to Eric about her heightened senses, and now she was expected to discuss the charms surrounding the estate with him as well. She decided to wait for her brother's return.

As Anna walked back up the stairs, a startling truth suddenly came over her. Despite her father's importance to his family, to the ministry, to the Muggles, and to everybody else with whom he came into contact; despite his openness and his charm, which gathered so many friends and business acquaintances; despite all of these things — Anna unexpectedly realized her father was a very lonely man. But she also realized the reason for his solitude was because he was still in love with her mother, Victoria, even after all these years without her, and the thought of it made Anna smile.

Anna raced up the stairs to her bedroom. Throwing her book bag on the bed, she opened the large doors of her window balcony and walked out onto the terrace. The early evening sun painted a reddening light on the ocean below. A wonderful breeze was blowing through her hair as she lifted her head and closed her eyes to smell the wonderful ocean breeze and flowers. The dried tears on her face made her skin feel tight in the warm gusting wind. She looked down over the railing overhanging the cliff's edge, and Anna could see the waves crashing down on the beach hundreds of feet below her. Several people were lazily walking along the water's edge on the wettest parts of the sand, leaving darkened stains in the flats behind their feet. She loved this part of the day. Overlooking the water, taking in the last hours of softening sunshine around her, Anna felt wonderful; her senses felt as if they were alive and on fire. The talk with her father was making her smile uncontrollably.

Looking down, she could see a number of swimmers paddling out on top of their surfboards. Anna's eyes flashed as she watched them riding up and down over the waves and heading toward the setting sun. She turned and dashed back into the room.

Within minutes, Anna had changed into her favorite swimsuit and was dashing down the stairs again. She burst out of the rear entryway, dancing through the courtyard behind the house and through the very large stone archway guarded by two moss-covered marble ghouls. Anna stopped in front of one of the statues and lightheartedly placed her head upon the forehead of the cold stone. "Hello, Henry…you need a bath," she laughed, skipping off down the path through the trees.

She stopped at a small stone hut at the edge of the woods, grabbed her surfboard from inside the door, and headed for the long wooden stairs, which wound their way around and down the cliff wall behind the estate. Where it might have taken somebody else fifteen minutes to negotiate the steps, Anna was on the beach and running toward the water in less than five. With her surfboard tucked tight under her arm and her feet splashing into the warm surf, Anna finally leaped forward onto her board and began paddling out to sea. It felt as though she was leaving her remaining troubles behind as she propelled herself forward.

Finally, she stopped and rested on top of her board. Breathless from the effort, Anna rolled over onto her back and stared up at the blue-bruising sky above her. She felt wonderful, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest. She didn't understand why, but the very idea that her mother's memory was still important to her father brought a sense of exhilaration unlike anything she had ever felt before. She stretched out her arms as if pressing the heavens off of her chest toward the open sky.

"I am Anna Grayson!" she screamed in delight. "My mother is Victoria Grayson — and my father loved her — he LOVED her!" She laughed hysterically as she pointed a threatening finger at the sky, "DO YOU HEAR ME?" she screamed at the top of her lungs, still laughing. She dropped her arms, panting. "He… loved her," she whispered to herself, exhaustedly.

All at once, a thunderous mountain of water crashed over Anna, flipping and rolling her over, and over below the ocean's surface. She was still laughing underwater as she swam up toward her floating board above her. As her head broke the surface, she immediately pulled herself upon her board and turned its nose toward the sandy beach. She smiled as she looked back with hopeful anticipation, and there, as expected, was another large wave bearing down upon her. Anna started paddling with all her strength as the wave caught up to her, lifted her into the air, and tried to throw her over an eight-foot wall of water now falling below her.

With a final heave to ensure she would drop into the chasm below, she quickly pushed herself up and onto her feet. Anna screamed with delight as she plummeted straight down into the rising bowl of water at the bottom of the wave. Just before crashing into its base, she leaned hard into the wave in front of her, which instantly transformed her falling energy into a launched rocket across the top of the water. She was riding down a huge wall of water now, somewhere between its rising base and the monstrous foamy top six feet over her head. Anna loved this; it was the closest thing to flying she felt other than in her dreams. She knew she would never be able to fly in the way her family could, but this to her, had to be what it was like - with the rushing wind, the speed, the pinpoint turns. It was glorious.

Glancing up, she could see the roaring wall of water streaking by her, just inches away from her face. She reached out and let her hand make contact with the surface of the lifting wave, and a great spray of water, like jets of steam, shot out from behind her fingertips.

Then, from out of the depths of the green wall, two large eyes suddenly appeared by her fingers. Anna looked up in shock to see two very large fish traveling inside the wave in front of her. Matching her speed, their torpedo-like bodies came into full view of her surprised gaze. A second later, several more eyes appeared within the giant mountain of water, as dozens of the large fish now joined the race. Anna wanted to reach through the wall of water separating their two worlds and touch them, but all at once, they were gone, darting deep into the thickening wave as the light around her began to darken.

Anna looked up and saw the top of the wave rolling over her head to enclose her. Her eyes shot forward, and she could see the wave's tunnel in front beginning to close. Smiling, Anna crouched low and pushed the nose of her board down, leaning into the bottom of the wave again. Her speed increased dramatically as she headed for the now completely closed exit disappearing in front of her. Anna smashed into the closed door of water and burst out the other side into the warm sunshine again. She clinched her fist and screamed in fierce triumph as she sped along the wave's front.

A few minutes later, Anna was lying on her back again, looking up at the sky as the sea lapped at the edges of her board. Her legs dangled over the sides and swept gently back and forth in the warm water around her. She couldn't remember ever being so happy. She closed her eyes and found the image her father's smiling face talking about her mother again. Anna giggled to herself as she relived that blissful moment.

The deep water around her was calm and quiet, but then she suddenly felt a tickle. It started on the bottom of her feet, and then began to move up her legs like so many tiny fingers touching and probing her skin. Anna quickly sat upright, looking around at the smooth water around her. Her feet were being nipped and nibbled time and again below the green surface.

"Hey, that tickles," she said, laughing, and lifting her legs. She placed her feet on top of the board, and wrapped her arms around her knees before looking down again. She could see small silvery darts moving like streaks of light just below the surface and under her board. Anna stretched her hand out over the water and the surface immediately began to shake and ripple violently. She snapped back, surprised by the intense reaction to her movements. She cautiously reached out again, and as her fingers touched the water, its surface suddenly exploded with life. Thousands of tiny silver fish began leaping out of the water in an ever-widening circle around her. The ocean's surface seemed to boil as the little fish raced about on all sides, looking to close in. Anna was confused and enthralled at the same time; she had never seen anything like this before. She extended her hand over the water once more, and hundreds of the tiny fish began leaping out of the sea over her outstretched limb. Anna's eyes widened in disbelief at the astonishing sight, as more of the little fish began shooting and jumping in both directions over her hand.

She slowly extended her other arm on the opposite side, and the fish immediately raced over in response. They were now blasting over both of her outstretched arms and, looking up, Anna saw them slicing through the air over the front of her board like a chromed wheel growing ever larger. Anna couldn't believe what was happening as she slowly began to stand, her arms still extended out to her sides. As she straightened her knees, her arms rose higher off the surface of the water, and the small fish seemed desperate to stay close, continuing to jump a full five feet out of the water in a massive circle around her. The water surrounding Anna looked like it was in the middle of a tumultuous hailstorm as the fish flew wildly through the air and splashed back down.

Then Anna noticed a darkening shadow over them and she looked up. There were now hundreds of small birds of every shape and size circling in a tight pattern just twenty feet above her head. The flock seemed to be dropping over her like a huge cupped hand pressing down. Anna couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't understand what was happening, as she stood there motionless on top of her board with the life swirling all around her. She reached up toward the birds and they reacted instantly, swooping down in mass to encircle her. Never coming close enough to make physical contact, they flew in an ever-shrinking column of beating wind just out of her reach. Anna was numb with shock as she reached out to the multicolored wall of feathers in front of her, and watched in disbelief as the column expanded as if to give her space. Anna screamed in uncontrollable delight at the astonishing spectacle of devotion before her. She didn't understand what was happening, but she could sense a powerful emotion reaching in to touch her. "I love you too," Anna called to them, through the torrent of flapping wings.

Their speed increased dramatically, and the wind around her swirled into an almost deafening roar. Anna threw her arms wide, hoping to embrace them all. She felt as if they shared a connection to each other, a bond of love and admiration. She could count every heartbeat, every breath they took as she opened her arms still wider to take them all in. And all at once, as if commanded to go, the birds burst away like the sudden shock wave after an explosion.

Anna stood there, panting as she watched the birds moving away in every direction. She was almost hyperventilating with excitement, and tears of joy poured down her face as she looked around. The fish and the birds were gone now; everything was calm.

But then, before she could put reason to what had just happened, there was a huge blast behind her. Anna ducked without looking and closed her eyes in anticipation of something huge crashing into her. There was another blast, and then what seemed like cold rain falling down around her. Anna slowly turned to see two enormous whales entering the waters around her board, their massive black bodies rolling up and over as they approached. Anna watched in amazement as they passed on either side of her. Like moving mountains, they crossed in the front and then began passing her again as the two of them completed their circle. Anna stooped to reach out and let her hand touch one of the creatures as it slowly passed by. She closed her eyes, and could hear his huge heart thumping like a drum in her head as he dove down and out of sight. Anna straightened to stand as a massive tail lifted up out of the ocean, turned toward the depths, and then slowly sank into the murky blackness again. And as quickly as they had appeared, they too were gone.

Anna's mind was left buzzing with disbelief. She couldn't comprehend any reason behind what she was feeling deep within her soul. There was life everywhere around her, she could feel it, she could sense it; she could almost touch it.

Anna turned toward what was left of the sinking sun across the distant ocean. "It's so magical," she said, in a soft whisper through her tears, and somehow she knew her life would never be the same.

47


	6. Family Feud

Chapter 6d18— Family Feud

Chapter 6

Family Feud

ONE

That night, Anna was back in her room getting ready for dinner with her family. She had never been so happy. It seemed everything around her was working to just her benefit. Even the things that would normally upset Anna seemed small compared to the joy she felt at this moment. This included Tencha conjuring a leg-iron curse on her when she was returning from the beach and walking through the kitchen, looking for a quick snack. There was a loud _POP,_ and Anna's ankles immediately sprang together in mid-stride. She abruptly fell flat on her front with a dull thud.

Tencha was standing over her laughing. "Hey little squib — whatcha' doing on the floor? Forget how to walk?" she teased, with a mixed giggle. Her smile quickly turned to a frown as she looked down at the target of her curse lying on the floor in front of her. Anna's body was shaking violently and twitching in random spasms side to side. Tencha reached down and pushed Anna over onto her back, and was shocked to find her sister laughing hysterically. Anna was guffawing so hard she had to roll back to her side to breathe. Tencha was stunned. Surely, this wasn't the response she had been seeking. She stared at the end of her wand with a scowl, thinking it had somehow malfunctioned.

"What are you laughing about?" Tencha asked, sternly. "That was supposed to be a leg-iron curse, not a tickling spell." But Anna continued to giggle unabated. Tencha scowled again, and then pulled out a small pocket-sized black book with yellow colored edges. She flipped through the pages still standing over Anna with her wand gripped between her front teeth. She stopped at one of the pages and began to read out loud.

**Locomotor Mortis**_(lo-co-MO-tor MOR-tis)_  
_**"Leg-Locker Curse"**_ , "loco" L. from a place + "motionem" L. motion + "mortis" L. death.

Locks a victim's legs together, making him or her unable to walk.

Tencha looked down again at Anna who was still laughing. "Definitely the right one," she said, in an exasperated tone. "Anna, what's the matter with you?"

Anna rolled over again, still snickering. "Oh, Tencha — even you can't screw up this wonderful day," she said, peering up at her sister, her eyes wet with amusement.

"I think you've gone batty," Tencha replied, as she waved her wand over Anna to release her legs.

Still in her room, Anna smiled as she continued brushing her hair in her mirror. It was ironic the best way she found to stop her sisters' torments was to somehow make them think she enjoyed it. She wondered longingly when her brother Eric would be home. Anna really wanted to speak to him about the strange things that happened to her on the grounds and in the ocean earlier that evening.

And then, while still buried deep in her private thoughts, Anna looked up and noticed something very odd in the mirror before her. Her body looked strangely rigid, as if frozen in place. She could see her eyes moving, but she was still, her brush stopped in mid-stroke. And then, as if suddenly remembering something she had forgotten, Anna understood what was wrong. She could sense something strange creeping into her consciousness; it was as if her body had realized something was wrong even before her mind had picked up on it, and a cold chill began tapping at the smallest hairs on the back of Anna's neck. She set the brush down, and slowly sat in the chair behind her. She placed her hands on the table and looked at her image now sitting before her in the mirror.

The feeling was eerie, cold, and now spreading from the back of her neck and up to the area behind her ears. Anna caught herself frowning in the mirror, and she closed her eyes to listen more guardedly. Something was definitely there — very near to her. She concentrated hard, which allowed the coldness of the strange sensation to penetrate deeper into her core. She instinctively tried to reach out, like she had done earlier that day in the woods, but for some reason it didn't seem to work this time. The feeling was now increasing at an alarming rate when, all at once, Anna suddenly realized what it was. Her eyes suddenly opened, and she quickly stood and turned to face the room behind her.

"Who's there?" she said, in a frightened voice. She had become conscious of the fact that something had been watching her. Anna stared into the room; there was something unseen somewhere very close. She leaned back and reached for the table behind her for balance, accidentally knocking over two glass bottles. She slowly rested her weight against the edge and tried to relax.

"Is somebody there?" Anna asked again, this time adding an intentional tone of forced goodwill, but still, there was no reply. The coldness she felt was getting worse and Anna began to shiver as she wrapped her arms in front of her. The room was quiet, except for a light rattling noise from her balcony window; she could hear the wind picking up outside. There was a feathery tinkling sound above her head, and Anna noticed the crystal adornments on her bedroom fixture beginning to tremble and shake.

BANG!

Anna jumped as her eyes shot to the right. Both of her balcony doors had flown open, slamming their stops with a violent crash. She ran to the doors and moved to push them closed, but a bone-chilling wave of pressure suddenly pushed its way past her. Anna quickly spun around and heaved the doors closed. The room was still again; nothing was out of place, but the coldness she felt earlier had left her body to make itself present in the room around her. Anna tilted her head down and peered into the space, trying to focus on something, anything attempting to make itself visible. The crystals above her were tinkling again, but then stopped abruptly as a small sound, a whispered hiss, broke the eerie silence.

"ssssssssssssssss," it sizzled softly, and Anna froze. The room still looked empty, but she definitely heard something that sounded like raw meat thrown onto a hot pan. And then, just as suddenly, the room was quiet once more.

"Sshh," came another sound, much shorter this time. Anna was barely breathing, her eyes darting all over the room in front of her. The sound seemed to come from somewhere immediately in front of her, and yet, perhaps, all around her. Anna thought to reach out to whatever it was, but chose to listen instead, watching for any movement that might come out of some unexpected place. She slowly reached down and grabbed the wooden handle of an umbrella propped against the wall next to her. There seemed to be an immediate reaction to her movements.

"ssssssssssssssss," spit the sound again. This time it was louder, almost like a voiced warning; _don't be stupid, now._

"Who is it?" Anna demanded, now raising the umbrella high to show she was properly armed; nothing. Her eyes slowly scanned the room left to right.

"Vereorrrrr," murmured something that sounded like a far off voice. Anna squinted, as if to hear the sound better. "Be afraid….ssssshhhh. You must prepare yourself… orbus," said the misty waver, sounding a lot like steam working its way through old pipes. Anna couldn't be sure, but it sounded as if the intruder might be threatening her.

"Prepare… for what?" Anna said sharply, holding the umbrella still higher. All was quiet again, but the temperature in the room now seemed to reach in to seize her by the throat. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for another sound, and when it finally came, Anna jumped in surprise despite herself.

"Darkness is coming," the voice sighed, which was already beginning to weaken. "Beware," it said wispily, sounding as if it were floating away from her. She could feel the warmth of the room suddenly returning, and Anna knew whatever was speaking to her was now quickly departing. She reached out impulsively.

"Hold on… I don't understand," she blurted out, realizing her confusion was suddenly much more important than her fear, but there was no reply. Whatever it was that Anna felt slipping away before, was now completely gone.

Anna stared across the room. "What the heck was that?" she said in frustration, throwing up her hands and looking around. "Are you a ghost? A phantom? What? And what was that 'be afraid' business," she said, in a deep mocking voice. "What was that about?"

It had to be a joke, something Dowla or Tencha thought up to frighten her into running down the staircase again. Anna walked over to her door and quickly snapped it open halfway expecting to see one or both of her sisters listening and laughing outside. But nobody was there.

Closing the door slowly again, Anna looked back into the room and thought. No, what she heard couldn't have been a joke. The way the presence made her feel before she heard the voice dispelled any notion of it being some kind of trick. But what did the voice mean when it said, 'darkness was coming'. Over the last several days, Anna had the feeling something different was happening around her, but she never thought that it might be bad, or in anyway evil. On the contrary, she had the feeling what was happening was exciting and rather wonderful. Now, however, she wasn't so sure. Anna had never encountered anything like this before, and the intruder didn't seem very pleasant. But what was it? And what was it trying to tell her?

Anna shook her head and groaned to herself, "Where's Eric when you need him?"

She walked over to the window to peek outside, ensured the balcony doors were locked, and then headed downstairs for dinner.

TWO

Anna entered the family room to find Dowla and Tencha squabbling.

"I don't care what daddy says," Dowla was saying, shaking her head stubbornly, "I hate it — and I shouldn't to forced into doing something I don't like."

Anna's sisters, although not identical twins, looked very much alike. They both had especially white skin and long ebony hair. They were unusually tall for their age, and very much like the image in their mother's portrait. Their features were thin, long, and rather exaggerated around the nose and chin. But despite their passion for fun-filled vindictiveness, Anna knew that the girls were also very popular at school. They always seemed to be extremely knowledgeable of the social landscape surrounding them, and had the reputation of being in the center of most of the scandalous activity away from home. In fact, they were even accused of being at the root cause of most of the problems at Castlewood. They had caused so much trouble last year, in fact, that Anna's father had to make a special trip to Pennsylvania just to save them from being suspended. Apparently, one of their many pranks had unwittingly gone awry, and had led another student into disaster in one of the many deep moats surrounding Castlewood. According to her brother Eric, it was only due to their father's personal friendship with the school's chancellor that saved the girls from being sent home in the middle of the school year.

"I agree," Tencha said, understandingly to her sister, "but what are we going to do? You know the rules. Every student in Castlewood must participate. It doesn't matter what sport you choose, we just need to pick one and stick with it."

"But I'm not a jock… I hate sports. I'm not good at it and it's a waste of my time," Dowla retorted.

"Well, what about that European sport…Quitick?" Tencha asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

"That's Quiddich, you idiot," interrupted Damon. Their brother was standing near the fireplace popping small, green puffs of fire out of his wand and into the logs at his feet. Always brooding, Damon looked all the more menacing in the glow of the green flames. "Besides — could you see Dowla flying on a broom?" he added, rolling his eyes.

"Ooooooo, you're not getting me on one of those silly things," Dowla answered, scowling at the group. "They're so fifth century. Why don't those people come out of the Stone Age and fly a proper door like normal people?"

"You mean normal people like you?" Damon said with a smirk. "I've haven't seen you flying a door since you last fell off yours eight years ago."

"Well… it didn't help with you throwing rocks at me at the time, Damon. Besides, I'm afraid of heights; everybody knows that. Oh… I can't wait until I'm allowed to Apparate. Why do we have to wait until we're eighteen to get a license? We should at least be allowed to practice," Dowla said, leaning forward in her chair.

"You mean like a learner's permit?" said Anna, finally stepping into the room.

"Exactly!" said Dowla, looking up in surprise and wondering why she hadn't thought of the idea in the first place.

"Yes, and while you're at it — you might as well get a permit to drive the family car," Anna said smiling, sitting down in the empty chair next to the fire. "Think about it, Dowla. Feet planted firmly on the ground, no chance of falling out of the sky that way. It's a very safe way to travel."

"You mean it's the Muggle way to travel," said Damon, sardonically, looking at Anna with a curled lip. "But you might want to listen to the squib, Dowla. After all — you may end up housebound if your abilities to Apparate aren't up to snuff.

"What about you, Tencha?" asked Anna, ignoring her brother. "What sport are you going out for this year at Castlewood?"

"Oh, I don't know. So many of the sports involve flying, or a ball of some kind. Why is that? It's so stupid — isn't it? Do you think they would accept blazing gin as a sport?" she asked, looking around the room for support.

"Only if they allowed you to talk while you play; those flapping jaws of yours might be an acceptable form of exercise," Damon replied with a smirk, blasting the fire at his feet again with his wand.

"Oh, shut up, Damon," scolded Dowla. "At least we're trying. Not all of us could get a note from daddy excusing us from playing sports last year. There's nothing wrong with your knees — what nonsense. What are you going to tell them this year, huh? You gonna curse a blister onto your big toe or something?"

"Just because you can't exercise your brains enough to get out of it, doesn't mean I have to follow your lead. Make something up. Who cares what the school rules say? You'll feel a lot better about it the next time we have to sit and watch a swift-slalom match. You can laugh with me when those idiots fall off their doors fifty feet off the ground doing eighty miles an hour," Damon said, shaking his head.

"Swift-slalom? What's that?" Anna asked, interestedly.

"Oh — it's a really scary sport," Dowla explained, with widening eyes. "The competitors have to race around these floating sticks on their doors. They're supposed to complete three laps… but most of them never finish. They're always banging into each other around the turns and pushing the other racers off of their doors. It's really brutal."

"It's really stupid," Damon added, sarcastically, "but at least it's an American sport, and a lot better than watching that bunch of nuts giving themselves wedgies on those ridiculous brooms on the Quiddich field."

"Dinner is prepared," interrupted a boyish voice from across the room. Widwick was standing in the doorway to the dining room beaming with elfish pride.

"Great… I'm famished," yelped Tencha, who stood to follow Dowla through the open doorway.

"It's about time… get out of the way," Damon growled as he walked by, nearly knocking the elf over as he passed.

"Thank you, Widwick," said Anna, "and what are the W-ds for tonight?"

"Ohhh, Iz did a bang-bang job for you's tonight, Miss Anna," said Widwick, gesturing her elegantly toward the dining room. "Wez got quail, and maashy tatoes, and greeny-beany thingys fer yours eyes."

"Ummmmm — sounds delicious. And? What about desert?" Anna asked, with a look of eager wanting growing on her face.

"Oh — plenties of pies, mum," he answered, brightly. Then, whispering behind a cupped hand, "Gabby is picked the cherries herself — just for you, she did."

Anna's eyes sparkled as she took the elf by the hand and lead them through the door.

THREE

The Grayson dining room was very large. The always formal looking table was long, rectangular, and extensive enough to seat at least twenty people. Its flat top was made from thick dark oak, which sat on legs the size of tree-trunks carved into squatting ghouls holding the table upon their shoulders. At the head of the table sat a very tall chair clearly meant for Mister Grayson. There was another chair exactly like it at the opposite end that nobody ever used. The walls were covered in finely detailed tapestries, depicting a wooded scene with deer, wolves, a bear, and several beautiful birds delicately woven into the hangings. Several ornamental trees and colored shrubs surrounded an inviting dock portrayed in the cloth, which stretched out over a glassy lake. In another corner of the room, stood a tall pewter-colored suit of armor on a rock pedestal. It was leaning on an unsheathed sword resting point-down between its feet. The table was covered in an array of skillfully prepared dishes that Anna liked to call _Widwick-dishes_ or W-ds.

As the family sat down, Widwick ran around the table seating the girls. Without waiting for the others, Damon started shoveling a spoonful of potatoes onto his plate, forked a serving of quail, and began to eat.

"Despite the fact you've given up joining the family in saying grace, Damon, you could at least wait for daddy," Tencha complained to her brother.

"Ooooooo," Widwick added, helping Tencha with her chair. "Master Grayson says he is working a little late. You is to start the meal without him, and he will join you's as soon as he can."

The elf glared at one of the place settings on the table. Two of the forks were apparently locked in a duel over which one should be seated to the inside of the other "Stop it, you's!" Widwick yelped, and the utensils immediately dropped next to the plate. "You! Over there is where you's belong." One of the large forks quickly jumped up, and pronged its way across the table to sit next to one of the entrées.

"There — you see?" Damon said, with a very full mouth, gesturing toward the elf, "I'm eating!"

The first few minutes were rather typical with Widwick helping to ladle out the portions, and Damon constantly demanding that his cup be refilled. Looking around the table at her family, Anna decided to ask a question. "Has anybody heard… if we have a new ghost in the house? Besides Cookie, I mean?" she added tentatively, poking nervously at the vegetables on her plate.

"Isn't one enough?" said Dowla, frowning. "Honestly… I wish he would go away," she muttered, referring to the scruffy bearded phantom living in their newel post. "I accidentally knocked over a candle stick in the hallway yesterday, and he started screaming at me and calling me a frog — whatever that means. Why doesn't daddy make him leave?"

"Why do you ask, Anna?" asked Tencha, ignoring Dowla's rude comments

"Well… I heard a strange voice in my bedroom upstairs a few minutes ago, and I was just wondering if there was somebody new around," Anna replied, looking closely for any snickers or glanced smiles between her two sisters. There weren't any.

"A strange voice? Oooo, what did it say?" Dowla asked, excitedly.

"Well, it was kind of hard to hear it exactly — but I thought it said… I…" she stopped, and decided to make the perceived threat a little more general, "…we… should beware."

"Beware? Beware of what?" asked Dowla, and Anna noticed everybody around the table had stopped eating, and was now looking directly at her.

"I don't know," Anna replied, frowning. "But it said something else too… it called me orbus."

Damon started to laugh.

"What?" Anna said, scowling at him, "do you know what it means?"

Her brother wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe. "Well, my Latin might be a little rusty, but this new ghost might know you a lot better than you think," Damon said, smiling, as he took another great gulp from his glass.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna said, getting angry.

"Oh… don't listen to him, Anna — he doesn't know anything," Tencha snapped, scowling at their brother across the table.

Damon finished his drink with a loud, "Ahh," and then continued. "Well… if memory serves me correctly, 'orbus'… means parentless," he said, finishing with a smirk.

"Parentless? What do you mean?" said Anna.

Damon rolled his eyes. "One without parents, of course." He could see Anna's confused look so he stood and leaned across the table toward Anna, "What… are you dense? An orphan! Is that clear enough for you?" he said rudely, with an evil sparkle glinting in his eye.

"An orphan? But I'm not an orphan. I have the same father as you," Anna answered, belligerently. She was beginning to regret saying anything about her strange visitor at all; she didn't like seeing Damon enjoying himself at her expense.

Damon laughed. "Oh — I don't know, Anna. What do you think, girls? The time may have finally come; we might have to break the news to the squib a little early, wouldn't you agree? After all, she'll be a teenager soon." Damon looked over at Anna who looked completely confused. "Well… I think you're probably old enough to handle the truth," he said, glancing over at Dowla with a broadening smile.

"Oh…" said Dowla, grinning with wide eyes, "you mean… THAT truth. Oh, I don't know… are you sure she can handle it?"

"Well… better the truth from those of us who…. uh…love her," he said, with a funny little break in his voice, "than from some unknown ghoul coming in for an occasional visit, right?" Damon replied, now sitting back in his chair with a serious face.

"Either tell me what you're on about, Damon… or shut up," Anna barked, catching Dowla whispering something to Tencha to her other side.

"All right — all right, as long as you think you can handle it; the truth is… you're not really our sister at all," Damon said, with a smirk. "Somebody simply left you on our front step one day and we, with a gentle-caring heart, took you in and out of the cold." Dowla and Tencha started to snicker as Damon leaned back. "Yep… hate to break it to you this way, little squib… but we found you wrapped in a blanket on our front stoop. Just another Muggle looking for a home and a family to mooch from," her brother finished, an ugly sneer blooming ever so knowingly on his pale face.

"Wez have pies," called Widwick, stepping into the dining room through a set of swinging double doors from the kitchen. He was rolling a metal pushcart with several pies stacked high. Wheeling the cart over to Anna's side of the table, he stopped, "Pie, Miss Anna?" asked the elf, hopefully.

Anna said nothing. She was still glaring at Damon in disbelief. _How could he say something so cruel — so cold?_ she thought in appalled astonishment.

"I don't know elf… do Muggle orphans like pie?" Damon said, with that dreaded cold draw in his voice that Anna hated so much. He was staring at her, those malicious eyes burrowing into her head. Anna stared back — not saying a word. Widwick stood frozen, looking at the both of them, unsure of what to do. Damon finally grinned, and scooped up another fork of potatoes and pushed them into his mouth. He sat back again, smiling as he chewed.

Anna's face was hot with rage, her clinched fists tightening like vices on the arms of her chair. She wanted nothing less than to smash Damon's grinning face into his plate. She could feel her anger building steadily, made worse by her sister's wicked and now fading giggles next to her. Anna's hearing was suddenly leaving her as her thoughts retreated. Widwick's muffled voice was buzzing somewhere next to her, asking her something about desert again, but she could barely comprehend what he was saying. All she could see was Damon, laughing and pointing at her, while the top of her skull approached a spewing level of rage.

And then, something completely unexpected happened; it moved. The plate sitting in front of Damon started to wobble and shake, and then slowly began to turn in its setting. Damon's laughing face quickly changed into a look of surprise as his plate began to slowly rise off the table as it turned, levitating into the air in front of him. Anna didn't know who was doing it, but she was grateful, because the plate was doing exactly what she wanted it to do. Her hearing returned just in time to hear Damon yelling at the twins.

"Tencha! Dowla! Put it down — now!" he demanded, but the girls seemed just as surprised as their brother as they began scanning over each another, looking to find a hidden wand.

"It's not me!" they said together, looking back eagerly.

Damon's plate was now rotating slowly at eye level, like a toy model of some alien spacecraft. He peered over the top of his piled potatoes in Anna's direction, and could see her piercing stare glaring back at him beneath her dipped eyebrows. Anna's mouth had formed a deadly smile that curled like evil's promise as the floating plate began to spin ever faster.

"I mean it — stop playing around!" Damon yelled again at the twins, never taking his eyes off of Anna's now concentrated expression.

"Shut your… big… fat… mouth," Anna grumbled under her breath. Her gaze broke for an instant to the plate hovering under his chin. Damon followed her eyes to the plate and then quickly back again.

_Do it now,_ Anna thought, with a look of great anticipation now moving across her face… _DO IT!_

Then, all of a sudden, the cooked quail on Damon's platter began to make a very strange noise. It started to squawk like a chicken, softly at first, but it ramped up quickly. "Cluck — cluck — cluck," sounded the bird on the plate as it began to twitch and jerk about. The quail suddenly stood upright and then, unbelievably, started to dance along the dish's colored rim.

"Cluck — cluck — cluck," the bird prattled on. "Cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck."

_Do it now…_ Anna repeated, barely noticing the amazing dancing bird high stepping around the edge of the plate. Its naked, brown and headless body began spinning in a series of elegant pirouettes, dipping and doffing some invisible hat toward Damon's flared nose.

"Cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — do — it — now," sang the bird. "Cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck." It was now standing on the edge of Damon's plate closest to his face, hopping up and down on its outer edge, like some demonic high diver contemplating its next trick. Higher and higher it bounced, clucking and squawking rudely, getting louder between rebounds. "Cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck."

Damon's head started to lean back against his chair, as his meal continued to hop and skip before him, the plate inching ever closer to his absent chin.

"Do it now!" said Anna, this time loud enough for everyone at the table to hear her. The bird stopped, as if frozen in place, still standing on the plate's flowered rim.

"Cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — cluck — do — it — now!" screeched the bird, taking one last enormous leap. It somersaulted twice and landed hard on the bones of its ankles with a fierce, "BUCCAKK!" The force of the bird's landing instantly flipped the plate over and smashed the potatoes piled behind it into Damon's shocked face.

There was a scream of howling laughter as both Tencha and Dowla began clapping wildly. Anna couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the plate slowly sliding off of Damon's head and down into his lap, his face completely covered in the fluffy white mess of potatoes. Anna covered her mouth with both hands, screaming with delight and stomping her feet at the sight of Damon now scooping potatoes out of his brooding eyes. His mouth dropped opened and more potatoes fell off his chin and into his robes.

"So… you think that's funny, do you?" he said, glaring angrily at the twins. "So you like to play games with food, do you?" He suddenly jerked his wand out of his now plastered robes and pointed it at them. His eyes were wide with fury as his head tilted back looking down his outstretched arm.

"No wands at the table, Damon!" Tencha yelled, still laughing. "Besides… I told you. It wasn't me."

"It wasn't me either," said Dowla, who was now trying to hide behind her sister's back.

"Hey Damon — you want some gravy with those potatoes?" Tencha quipped while Dowla, still peeking over her sister's shoulder, began to snort.

"No — thank you, dear sister, but here… allow me to serve you this time." He pointed his wand at the small boat of gravy sitting in front of him. "_Wingardium Leviosa_," he commanded, and the bowl lifted off of the table and started to float its way toward the twins. Their eyes followed it through the air as it levitated to a stop over their heads.

"Damon! Stop it! We told you it wasn't us!"

"Ahhhh … your lying deserves better from me, doesn't it? _Engorgio_!" he commanded, thrusting his wand out still further. The girls watched in horror as the small bowl of gravy began to grow. It swelled enormously until it was the size of a fifty-gallon drum. The twins screamed and tried to run.

"Not-ah-ahh," Damon sang out, and with a wave of his wand the twins were instantly shoved back together under the gigantic tub of gravy floating above them. "Any final words?" he asked, tilting his head to the side with a look of compassion passing uncharacteristically across his face. But before they could answer, he turned an ugly sneer and, with another flick of his wrist, he flipped the bowl over above them. Thickened globs of glutinous stuff poured out like a muddy waterfall upon their heads.

_SSSSLOOOOSHHHH_!

The girls screamed, holding onto each other as the sticky brown goop covered them entirely. Damon finally started to laugh, and so did Anna. Even Widwick seemed to enjoy what was happening, despite the mess he would surely have to clean up later. Tencha and Dowla were howling like wounded animals, hopping up and down and looking at each other covered in the messy gravy.

"YOU… ARE SOOOO DEAD, DAMON!" yelled Tencha, running over to Widwick's cart stacked high with pies.

"Now — now… don't start something you can't finish!" Damon called back, still waving his wand threateningly at them.

Tencha picked up a pie from the tray and took careful aim.

"Me pies!" screamed Widwick. "No — they's not for throwing — they's for eating!"

"Let him have it, Tencha!" Dowla roared, angrily.

"You'd better be careful…" Damon started to say, but he never finished his warning.

_WHAM!_

Damon was hit square in the chest with the heavy cherry pie, the force of the blow hitting him so hard it knocked him down into and then back over his chair.

"Hah!" Tencha scoffed, "Gotcha!"

Anna was now laughing so hard she thought she was going to burst.

_PLOP!_

Anna was hit in the side of the face with a yellow cream-filled pie. She froze and then slowly looked around to see Dowla smiling widely.

"What are you laughing about?" yelled Dowla, now reaching for another pie on Widwick's cart.

Anna never hesitated. Reaching Dowla before she could turn to face her again, Anna shoved her sister's face into the tray of pies. Pie innards of every kind exploded out from under her sister's head. Laughing evilly, Anna turned just in time.

_WHOP!_

She was hit clean in the face with the rest of the mashed potatoes from the table. She flew backwards against the tapestries and crashed to the floor. She looked up to find Damon on his feet again, pointing his wand and smiling triumphantly at her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhheeeeeee!" came a high-pitched scream to Anna's left, and she was amazed to see Dowla running across the top of the table with a pie in each of her outstretched hands. She slammed Damon on each side of the head, using the pies like a pair of symbols.

_SPLAT!_

Damon crumbled to the floor in a heap, and Dowla reached down to snatch his wand out of his limp hand. "You won't be needing this, tough guy!" she added, standing over him menacingly.

_PLOP!_

Dowla was slammed in the side of the face with another large pie, this time thrown by Tencha.

Anna couldn't breathe, she was laughing so hard, as the pies began flying in every direction.

_SPLAT! WHOP! PLOP!_

"Pleasssse stop… me pies, they is being ruined!" yelled Widwick, who was hiding behind one of the heavy dining room chairs.

"Widwick! I need more pies!" screamed Tencha, who was trying to protect her head with a large dinner plate.

"Yes mum…" cried Widwick, and with a loud _POP_, a stack of pies magically appeared on a chair next to her. She began throwing them across the room.

"Widwick!" yelled Anna.

"Yes, mum…" _POP — POP — POP._ More pies appeared on the table where Anna started throwing them two at a time.

"Elf!"

"Yes, Master Damon," said Widwick, and more pies suddenly appeared.

Pies and food were flying everywhere — into the walls, the carpets, and onto the suit of armor standing in the corner. The birds woven into the silk of the tapestries started squawking angrily and taking flight. Some of the wolves and deer, and even the huge bear within the hangings were running for cover, as the pies started smashing into the trees around them. The subjects in the estate paintings had left their frames, and were now peaking around the trees deep in the tapestry, watching the war within the dining room rage on. They had to duck and dodge the foodstuffs crashing into the woods around them.

Widwick started screaming and running toward the kitchen doors looking to escape, only to be caught in the back with another pie.

_WHAM!_ "Ooooooweeeee!"

The force of the blow knocked the elf through the swinging doors and straight into the kitchen. There was a loud crash of pans and dishes on the other side as the doors swung shut behind him.

Anna was hit every time she tried to rise above the tabletop, and then again in the back of the head from someone behind her. She quickly spun around just in time to see Uncle Sarasil ducking behind a tree in the tapestry, taking aim this time at Dowla.

_WHOP!_ Dowla was knocked to the ground. "Hee-hee-hee," came a hollow snicker from inside the tapestry.

Anna turned to see Damon, ruthless as ever, strategically maneuvering upon Tencha's right with three pies stacked high in his left hand. Rounding the corner of the table, the carpet below his feet started to rise up. Apparently, feeling it had been punished enough with all the mess, the carpet's tasseled corner suddenly lashed out, snapping Damon hard in the rump. Damon hollered in pain, and then fell to the floor into his own pies.

Anna was laughing so hard she couldn't protect herself, and was besieged by a number of pies flying in at her from every direction. The force of the final blow sent her sliding backwards across the top of the dining room table and onto the floor on the other side. The carved ghouls holding the tabletop upright started squawking angrily to one another, tipping and rocking the table above them like a ship's deck in a stormy sea. Foodstuffs and dishes where sliding back and forth, occasionally finding the edge and crashing to the floor on top of Anna.

Seeing Damon go down, Dowla decided to press her advantage and began to run toward him. She gleefully raised a stack of pies over his head, intending to drop them upon him, when suddenly, the suit of armor standing behind her swung back and swatted her hard on the rump with the broadside of his massive sword. Dowla flew across the room and into the tapestry, rolling over and over onto the deck next to the lake. Standing up again, she howled angrily in pain, gripping her very sore bottom with both hands. She was instantly struck in the face with another pie, which sent her reeling backwards over the edge of the dock and into the lake. With a loud _sploosh_, a large plume of water shot into dining room.

Damon was on his feet again. He grabbed a silver tray from the table to protect his head from the food flying at him, but Tencha was now waving her own wand. Immediately, the handles on the tray locked themselves tight around Damon's wrists like manacles. Looking up in shock, the tray began batting him relentlessly on top of his head.

_CLANG — CLANG — CLANG! _Damon fell backwards to the floor once more, trying to fend off the attacking tray.

_PLOP!_

Tencha was hit, this time in the back of the head with a pie thrown by Anna, who collapsed into an empty chair snorting loudly, trying to catch her breath. She then rolled onto the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter when she saw the quail from Damon's plate still dancing in the center of the table.

One of the doors to the dining room suddenly flew open and, standing there completely wet from head to toe, looking like a half-drown rat, was Dowla. She was scowling angrily.

Anna looked up at her sister. "Have a good swim?" she said, trying to hold a serious face, and then started howling as another fit of laughter seized her again. Screaming like a lunatic, Dowla jumped on Anna's back and squashed her face into some of the food that had fallen on the floor.

Damon was up again as well. His wrists still clamped tight by the tray, he was running toward Tencha.

"STOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!" came a deep bellowing voice from the family room entryway. It was Mister Grayson. The children froze as they looked up in shock at their father. Even the squawking birds from the tapestries suddenly fell silent. "What in the wizarding world are you doing?" he yelled, angrily. "Get off of your sister," he motioned to Dowla, who was still sitting on Anna. "And you! What do you think you're doing?" he yelled at Damon, who had Tencha pinned down on top of the table, his manacled tray pressed against her back.

With the knuckles of his closed fists anchored firmly against his hips, Mister Grayson looked ominous standing amid the mess of toppled chairs and thrown food. "In all my days… I would have never believed any Grayson would stoop to the point of…" but before he could steam forward into a fuming lecture…

_WHOP!_ A custard pie smashed directly into his chest.

Anna and Tencha gasped in shock as Damon and Dowla whirled around, looking for their father's attacker. There, deep within the tapestry, was Uncle Sarasil, hiding behind one of the trees.

"Hee — hee — hee," Sarasil snickered evilly, as he dashed away into the forest of the fabric. Damon gulped hard, looking up at their father. Tencha turned, pointing accusingly into the hangings.

Mister Grayson never moved; he didn't even flinch when the pie had hit him. He stood there, as the remnants of the splattered pie fell to the floor and dripped from his fine velvet robes. Still scowling at them, the wizard calmly raised a single hand to brush away the crust from the top of one of his broad shoulders.

Suddenly, Widwick came bursting out of the kitchen, a handled pot sitting upon his head for added protection. "Ohhhhsss no…" he moaned, in a low timid voice, at seeing Master Grayson standing in the center of the bombed out dining room. The elf's ears began to droop in obvious shame.

There was the slight sound of a muffled snicker, and Mister Grayson quickly looked up with a contorted glare. Anna was holding a hand over her mouth as tight as she could, struggling to remain in control, her eyes wet from the strain. She quickly turned away to hide her face behind Tencha's shoulder.

"Very funny…" said Mister Grayson coldly, glaring at all of them. He gripped his hands behind his back and stepped fully into the room, his robes swaying oddly from the weighed remains of the pie smashed into his chest. He stopped, and then began to rock back and forth on his heels, looking around as if surveying the damage from an unexpected earthquake. "Yes, its all very funny, isn't it?" Anna peeked out from around Tencha's shoulder again. She wasn't laughing anymore.

"But you see… I have a better idea of what's funny," said Mister Grayson, turning as if to leave the room. He stepped over Widwick's fallen tray of pies and stopped, his back still facing the children. He slowly turned again, now facing them from his side. Dowla bravely stepped forward as if to explain what had happened, but quickly froze as her father shot a fast and angry look of dismay at her. He began rocking on his toes again.

"Very, very funny… indeed." He quickly snapped around, brandishing a wand at them. He swiftly waved it over his head and sparks of green fire shot out in every direction. Pies suddenly materialized in mid-air in the center of the room and then shot forward, striking the Grayson children several times.

"Hah!" he roared, a huge smile suddenly blooming on his face, "Now — that's funny!"

The girls screamed in panic, and Damon dove for cover once again. Anna picked up a pie and heaved it at her father, who stopped it in mid-air with his wand, turned it around, and sent it screaming back toward her.

_WHOP!_ The pie slammed into Anna's forehead, knocking her back to the floor.

Mister Grayson bellowed triumphantly, still smiling. "Oh come on — surely you can do better than…"

_WHAM –– PLOP –– SPAT!_

Mister Grayson was immediately encased in a barrage of pies. He stumbled backwards, slipped, and his feet were sent flying into the air as he crashed to the floor with a loud boom. There were screams of delighted laugher as the food began flying once again. The birds from the tapestries were shooting back and forth across the room looking for sanctuary from the war raging within the dining room below them.

"Widwick!"

"Yes, mum, Iz getting the pies," screamed the elf, but as he ran forward to help, another pie banged into the pot upon his head, spinning him like a top. "They… is… not… for throwing," he said, dizzily, and then toppling back to the floor with a thud.

Finally, after trying to stand three times only to be knocked to the floor time and pie again, Mister Grayson screamed out, "ENOUGH! _Expelliarmus_!" All of the pies the children were holding flew over Mister Grayson's head, hitting the wall behind him with a loud _SPLAT!_ "_Accio_-_Graysons_!" he bellowed. The children were immediately lifted off of their feet and drawn forward toward their father's outstretched hand. "Halt!" he barked, and they all jerked to a stop in midair before him.

As the children hovered there, Mister Grayson began whipping his wand over his head once more, and this time the dinning room table started to spin into a whirling blur. Changing in color and texture, the table looked like a small tornado hopping up and down there in the center of the room as it continued to gain momentum. It finally began to slow, and eventually stopped. It had been transformed into a massive chocolate frosted cake, which took up most of the dining room floor.

The children floating over the cake were quickly flipped around to confront the desert face down. Hovering and motionless, the Graysons were barely breathing as they glanced up at one another, and then down again at the massive sea of chocolate below them.

"Uh… daddy? I love you," Anna said, in a higher than normal voice, but they all yelped as Mister Grayson jerked them up still higher in response. They looked down at their father, who was wearing a sizeable grin as he pinned their backs to the ceiling.

"I love you too, sweetie," he said lovingly, and then he released them. Screaming like the devil's own choir, they landed face down in the cake with a loud _FLOOPPPP!_

Sticky, brown, and gooey, Dowla and Tencha slowly rolled over. "Eeeeeeeewwwwwwww… this is disgusting," the twins said together.

"Oh — YEAH!" yelled Mister Grayson, his fists raised in triumph. "Never mess with a _Master Sorcerer_! I'll whack your wands!" he shouted proudly, dancing around the cake and pumping his chest in final victory.

Anna was giggling breathlessly as she rolled over and started sweeping her arms and legs to make an angel in the frosting under her back.

Still lying with his face down in the cake, they could hear Damon's muffled voice complain, "I hate chocolate…"

FOUR

Thirty minutes later, the Graysons were seated at the dining room table, trying to finish what was left of their dinner. The family was still in their sticky clothes and the room around them was a complete mess, but nobody seemed to care. Nobody that is, except for Gabby, who was scolding poor Widwick as they cleaned the floor for what she called, "a disgraceful display of wastefulness." There was a lot of laughter around the table, as each described his part in the previous battle.

Finally, Mister Grayson spoke. "Widwick… bring us the best wine in the house. I would like to make a toast."

"Yes, Master Grayson — right away, sir," said the house elf, who then turned and scampered off.

"I wish Eric was here tonight, because what I have to say applies to you all. The next few days are going to be very busy for us, but I wanted to tell you how much Anna and I have enjoyed this summer holiday together, and how much we're going to miss you as you get ready to depart once again for Castlewood."

Anna was watching her father, but she clearly did not share his sorrow at seeing Damon, Tencha and Dowla's return to school. Except for Eric, Anna believed she was much happier without her siblings in the house.

Widwick returned with a dusty bottle of wine and, with a soft pop of the cork, he began to pour a little for each. Mister Grayson began swirling the contents in his glass by the stem and, after sniffing the bouquet, took the smallest sip.

"Ahhh — excellent choice, Widwick. Romanee-Conti, 1876?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at the elf.

"Iz 75, Master. You is very brilliant with wine, you is," replied Widwick, with a high degree of respect and appreciation resonating in his voice.

"Ahhh… yes… excellent. Well!"

Mister Grayson quickly stood, pausing to look at each one of his children around the table. "I just wanted to say… as I get older, the day you leave for school is becoming more difficult for me. You're growing up so fast… and I wanted you to know how very proud I am of all of you. I know your mother, God bless her soul, would have been personally fulfilled by your many accomplishments." He paused graciously, and then, "This house is never the same when one of us is missing, and when you're all away and working hard at school… I'm not ashamed to admit," he stumbled slightly, looking sadly down into his glass, "that we're all very lonely here without you." Anna looked around the table and could see Dowla's eyes beginning to redden with emotion. Tencha was listening to their father's every word, while Damon, still slouching in his chair, was nervously scratching at the stem of his glass with his fingernail.

"You take with you my heart, and the knowledge that I live for the moment when you all return home… safe and sound." He raised his glass. "I salute you all — good luck, work hard… but play harder. Remember… you carry forth the honor of the Grayson name wherever you go; I know you will make us all proud. I love you… very much!" And with these final words, he drank.

There was a quiet moment as the children watched their father finish his toast, and then Damon quickly got to his feet. Holding up his own glass, he said, "To our father — the strongest man in the wizarding world." The boy drank deeply.

Then Tencha also stood, "To our father… I will miss you more than ever," she said, and then she took a tiny sip of her wine.

"To daddy — I love you very much," Dowla said, speaking through her falling tears, her sobs echoing in the bottom of her glass as she drank.

Finally, it was Anna's turn. Picking up her glass, she stood and raised it toward her father. "To Boris Allison Grayson — the most wonderful and loving father a child could ever hope for — to our daddy," she said with pride, and then she drank.

Mister Grayson walked around the table and placed his arm around Anna's shoulder. "Thank you, sweetheart," and then he quickly turned to face the rest. "Thank you, all!" Then he lifted his glass once more, "TO THE GRAYSONS!" he bellowed, his glass rising higher into the air.

Immediately, the knight in the corner raised his sword in salute.

"TO THE GRAYSONS!" the children repeated in unison, their glasses held high.

"TO THE GRAYSONS!" exclaimed the family portraits throughout the house and the tapestries around them.

"GOD BLESS YOU ALL!" Mister Grayson bellowed even louder.

"GOD BLESS US ALL!" repeated everybody and everything within the house in shouts of pride and joy. Their cry echoed loudly outside and throughout the hills surrounding the Grayson estate.

62


	7. The Shroud of Dormancy

Chapter 7d14 The Shroud of Dormancy

Chapter 7

The Shroud of Dormancy

ONE

The children were quiet as they made their way up the stairs to bed, completely exhausted from the evening's events. Anna was walking behind the twins as they discussed the last items that needed to be packed before their return to school.

"I can't believe this time next week we'll be sitting in class again. Oh — I hope this year is easier than last," Dowla said to Tencha, bemoaning the thought of another long year away from home.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," her sister said, shaking her head resignedly, "I barely survived last year."

Damon was following Anna up the steps. "Nice little toast you gave after dinner, Anna. Where did you get it from…_Muggle Homes and Gardens_?" he said, in a very sarcastic tone.

"Oh, and I suppose you think 'the most powerful man in the wizarding world' was really deep?" Anna shot back.

"Well — at least I know to whom to raise my glass and call father," he said, amused. Passing her, he hopped onto the landing and then turned to face her. "I guess we'll just have to add another title to your long list: Anna-Muggle-squib-orphan," he said, with a chortle.

Anna shoved her brother back against the wall as she turned to pass him. "I'm warning you Damon, you'd better shut your mouth. You never know when to stop," she growled angrily.

"Oh — touchy, aren't we? Must have hit a nerve," he said, walking down the hall to his bedroom door. He turned to give a wink of satisfaction to the twins. "Well...Goodnight fellow Graysons. Oh — and you too, Anna," he said with an ugly grin, peeking back through the gap as he closed his door. The twins turned, looking for Anna's response.

Anna was fuming. "What are you looking at?" she snapped, in a challenging tone at the twins.

"Nothing…Nothing," they said, snickering, as they closed the door to their rooms.

Anna entered her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She trudged over to her dressing table and sat down with a huff. "God, that Damon sure knows how to push my buttons," she complained in frustration. She looked up into the mirror and was shocked by what she saw staring back. There were lumps of foodstuffs all over her clothes and face. Her hair had every color of pie innards smeared, matted and spattered on and within it. Something else was shining against the side of her head and Anna reached up to pull it out. It was the little red hair clip, which had caused her so much trouble that very morning. It was covered in potatoes and chocolate goop. Anna was amazed.

"You mean to tell me you stayed in place through all of that? Good boy! You have a very stout heart, little one," she chirped, smiling broadly. The little clip happily snapped open and closed several times at being considered so brave. She set the clip down on the table and watched it bounce upright, shake itself vigorously to remove the mess from between its teeth, and then happily hopped over and dove into an open drawer in Anna's jewelry box, which quickly jerked closed with a little click.

Anna looked up again at the mess sitting before her in the mirror. "Bath!" she said, determinedly, and she stood and headed for the bathroom.

An hour later, Anna was clean, warm, and deep in her four-poster bed, thinking about the events of the day. "What a night," she said with a sigh, staring up at the hangings above her head. She considered everything that had happened. It seemed the fight with Veronica that morning had taken place ages ago. Then she remembered her experience in the woods with the girl's mother, the strange things on the grounds and in the ocean, and then her ghostly visitor before dinner. What did it all mean? She remembered the talk with her father about her mother, and Anna couldn't help smiling once again. She loved her father very much. Her mind finally stopped to focus on the picture of him being hit by all those pies and his body crashing to the floor. Anna giggled out loud. Her father was such a great man.

She wanted so much to prove herself to him in a way that would make him proud of her. The other children all had their path set for them. They were going off to Castlewood, and as long as they studied hard and did their best, Anna knew their father would be pleased. But how could she contribute? Anna wanted so much to bring honor to the Grayson name…But how? What could a Muggle do? What could a squib do?

_Squib._ There it was again, that name. It always seemed to come into her mind as the biggest obstacle in her life. But despite her brother's efforts, she wasn't going to let him or that name limit her. "I hate you, Damon," she said, out loud. "I can't wait for you to go, and then I won't have to look at that pasty-white face of yours until Christmas!" Anna felt herself sliding away and, remembering how dangerous it was to think about Damon before dropping off to sleep, she rolled over and tried to concentrate on something happy. But she was tired, and her body quickly floated off into a cloud of black mist.

TWO

Swirls of black smoke were swelling and moving toward her mind from behind her eyes, and the faint sound of a bellowed fire began to seep into her consciousness. The heat of the air was suddenly unbearable, and Anna began pushing the blankets off of her now sweating body. Her bed seemed hard and covered with sharp wooden splinters as Anna rolled onto her back. She frowned as she felt something snake around her wrists and ankles…It was pain. Something tight and coarse, like old rope, was moving in to hold her down. Anna opened her eyes and saw what seemed like a damp and darkened stone dungeon around her. She was no longer in her four-poster, but tied by invisible ropes to a hard table. She couldn't move. She could barely breathe due to the scorching hot and smoky air surrounding her. _What is this place?_ She tried to speak, to yell for help, but the air in the room made her choke and cough. She looked around at the black stone walls around her and could see all of her belongings, her dresser, the table and mirror; they had been moved to this new place while she had been sleeping.

Anna heard a moan, a far off sigh, and then a gurgling whimper, which grew louder and seemed to come from someplace below her feet. She finally looked down and could see an arched door made of heavy planked wood next to her dressing table. There was a smoky red light, like that of a fire from the other side, shining bright around its edges.

Shaking with fear and confusion, Anna tried to get up, but the unseen bindings on her wrists and ankles were too tight. She could feel the pain from the ropes now cutting into her skin. She yelled, hoping somebody, anybody, might hear her.

"What is this place? Daddy!" Anna yelled. "Somebody help me!" But there was no reply. The groaning from the next room was mixed now with sobbing cries, and she could hear a small voice pleading.

"No, please…No…" but a horrible sizzling sound could be heard interrupting the begging victim through the door, and Anna's own feet suddenly exploded in burning pain. It was as if someone had placed something red hot on the bottoms of her feet. Anna screamed as she thrashed against the ropes, which cut deeper into her skin.

Anna could hear screaming from the next room mixing with her own, a voice beseeching and begging for mercy from some unknown attacker bearing down upon him. The suffering cries were familiar to Anna, but she couldn't put the face together with the voice pleading for mercy in the room beyond the door. She knew that screaming voice was important to her, but she couldn't bring herself to understand who it might be. Then she heard a sinister laugh coming from the room, and Anna cringed upon hearing a cruel, malicious voice speak.

"Shut up, you worthless parasite. You don't know pain…But you soon will; I will see to it that you understand the true ecstasy of pain like never before." There was a loud CRACK, as if from a heavy whip hitting something hard.

"Aaahhhhhhh," came another scream, and then a tiny voice pleaded, "have mercy master — mercy."

CRACK, came the reply, and then another horrible scream.

Anna's back exploded with pain upon each hideous snap of the whip on its victim. She was writhing, and arching upward on the table, as if feeling each terrible stroke across her own back. She tried desperately to get up, to break the bonds holding her down. She wanted to stop this madness, stop the pain. "STOP IT!" she cried out, but she couldn't move. She could barely breathe as the agony continued.

CRACK, "Pain," said the torturer, in a cruel voice that only hinted of the untold brutality to come. CRACK, "Pain!" the thing repeated again, an added weight of vindictiveness was being served with each stroke. CRACK, "PAIN!" screamed the laughing menace at his hapless victim. "I want to hear you beg some more, you filthy, worthless slave. I want to see your blood all over my floor. I want to see you WRITHE!"

CRACK.

Another explosion of pain ripped through Anna's back, piecing her body as if splitting her in two. She had to stop this. She had to get help. She had to break the bonds holding her down. With all of her strength, Anna wrenched at her bindings, and, willing every bit of power she had left, she slowly began to rise. There was another loud CRACK, and another scream of pain. Anna pulled herself forward, and finally was able to roll over to the floor below the table, her wrists and ankles wet with her own blood. She pushed her body onto her knees, but it felt as if someone was forcing her head back down, trying to press her into the floor again. Anna screamed out, hoping somebody might hear her now that she was closer to the door.

"Stop it!" she yelled. But the torture in the adjoining room continued, and horror in knowing nobody was going to stop it was overwhelming Anna's senses. She pushed with all the strength in her legs beneath her, and finally found her body standing upright. But there were powerful forces holding on to her, trying to pull her back. She tried to take a step, but something unexpectedly grabbed her by a trailing foot. She looked down in shock to see several hands reaching up through the wooden floorboards, grabbing at her feet and pulling on the hem of her pajamas. She tried to take another step, and another loud CRACK stabbed her soul once more. The screams in the next room were intensifying, now non-stop even between the heavy ripping sounds of the whip.

"Let me go," Anna screamed frantically, yelling and stomping down at the hands trying to hold her back. "I SAID — LET ME GO!" And all at once, Anna broke free; her body hurled forward and landed hard against the door from where the screams could be heard. She tried to turn the large iron handle, but the heat from the metal burned her hand. The door was locked.

CRACK! There was another scream, and Anna bent rearward grotesquely, her hands flailing against the pain. She began pounding on the door with her fists, and kicking it with her feet. "Leave him alone — please!" she yelled at the unknown attacker on the other side.

CRACK! There were no answers to her pleas. She looked desperately around the room, searching for something, anything, to open the door and stop the assault. Her attention fell upon a pair of heavy scissors on her dresser and she immediately grabbed them up. She jammed the pointed end into the latch of the wooden door and started prying it with all her strength.

CRACK! Another agonizing scream, louder this time, made her ears ring. A knife of pain shot between Anna's shoulder blades and straight down into the center of her back. She collapsed from the blow. Her eyes were blurred, her ears still throbbing as she staggered to stand again. She saw the scissors lying on the floor, glowing red in the light blooming out from the bottom gap. Picking them up, she flew into the door again, prying angrily at the lock.

Another sharp CRACK was heard from beyond the door, and Anna almost passed out from the pain. She leaned against the wood of the door crying. "Please stop…Please…I'm begging you. Please leave him alone…" she pleaded. "You're killing him."

And then she heard the deep terrible voice once again, "Now, slave, you will bare witness to a new level of pain unknown to your kind." There was a terrible, awful shearing sound from the room on the other side, and the small voice screamed again in appalling torture. Instantly, Anna felt a stabbing blade in her back, a red-hot knife piercing and cutting deep into the middle of her spine. Her head jerked back as she thrashed her hands behind her shoulders, trying to remove the instrument pushing into her. The pressure stopped and another hideous laugh was heard once again.

Anna's eyes shot forward. Seeing the scissors still jammed in the latch, she snarled with blinding rage as she leapt forward at the tool. She began gouging back and forth desperately at the wood of the door. At last the lock finally sprung open, and she grabbed the edge of the gapped door and angrily threw it back with all her strength.

The sight before Anna's eyes sickened her, the image so revolting, she immediately turned her head away and almost slammed the door closed again. It was Widwick. His hands were tied to the ceiling, while his body dangled beneath. Ropes from the floor stretched his legs below into a horrible twisted knot of blackened flesh. His head was limp, and there was a choking-acrid smell of smoke rising from the elf's back. Anna staggered forward and fell into Widwick's legs; she began tugging desperately at his bindings. She looked up into the creature's pitiful face hanging above her. His normally bright eyes were swollen and bloody as they slowly opened to look down.

"Pleeeeease, mum. Make it stop," he begged. "Please…I is sorry…I is…I is a good house…" but his remaining strength finally left him as his head lulled over and settled lifelessly to the side. Anna screamed and yanked wildly at the ropes, desperately trying to release him. Anna heard a terrible, evil laugh to the side, and she quickly spun around to finally face the menace. There was a large raised fire on a brick pedestal, and white-hot coals burning deep within its flames. And there, standing next to the boiling pit, was a cloaked hooded figure, stoking the coals with a metal iron. At the creature's feet lay a coiled whip, still bloody from its cruel work on Widwick's back. Anna's blood was a scalding brew, ready to explode as she limped forward to protect her hanging friend. She was dizzy from pain and the suffocating heat around her.

"You will stop this!" Anna screamed in appalled rage. "You will stop this…Now!"

The cloaked figure stopped pushing at the coals, picked up one of the white-hot instruments, and then slowly turned to face her. The face of the thing was hidden in the deep shadows of its hood as it stepped forward.

"Stop?" the growling voice asked, "but I'm only getting started." The figure turned and glided to Anna's left as if to return to its hanging victim. Anna moved to the side, placing herself between Widwick and his torturer. The hooded figure stopped and slowly turned to face her again. "Get out of my way!" the thing demanded, pointing the smoking poker at her face. The ground beneath Anna's feet shook at his words, and she had to grab Widwick's legs to steady her balance.

"No!" Anna screamed. "You won't hurt him anymore. I won't let you. He's my elf — he lives in my house," she said, coughing through the thick smoke. She looked up again at Widwick hanging above her. "He's my friend," she said, in a hoarse, yet caring voice. But Anna's determination was strengthening as her steely graze returned to the foul-cloaked figure before her. "You will stop this. If you come near him again — I'll kill you!"

The hooded figure gave a mighty laugh, and the ground shook under them again. "You…? You are powerless — you are nothing — you are worse than the vermin you seek to protect. You pretend to be something you are not. You cannot stop me."

"I will. I won't let you have him — you'll have to kill me first," Anna shrieked, angrily.

The figure rolled his head back and laughed again. "And what a pleasure that will be," he said, as he raised one hand to lower his smoking black hood. Anna stared in horror at the face of Widwick's torturer; it was Damon. His orange face glowed bright from the light of the steel in his outstretched hand. His face, still spattered with Widwick's blood, was gleaming with anticipated delight. "You will wait your turn, little squib. First the fleas…And then the wizard lice," he said, through his clinched white teeth.

Anna was seething in fury as the shadow of mist began to cloud over her vision again. Her head suddenly exploded in crazed hate as the figure of her brother began to laugh.

"I'm going to kill you!" Anna screamed, and she could see the thing's eyes widen in shock as she leaped forward at him. She heard a terrible growl, like that of some attacking animal, coming up out of her own throat as she knocked Damon to the floor with a single blow. She could see a massive clawed paw tearing at his body, and the horror now in his face as she looked down into his terrified eyes.

"What are you?" he screamed, his eyes looking at her from the side, too afraid to look upon her fully in the face.

A deep rumble, half human - half animal, burst forth from Anna's throat, "I — am your death!" she snarled, as she opened her mouth wide. The last thing Anna saw was Damon screaming as her head swooped in and clamped its massive fanged jaws into his face and everything went black with a loud crunch.

THREE

The dream finally ended and Anna's eyes snapped open, but the blackness surrounding her was making it nearly impossible to see. She was back in her four-poster bed, but she knew immediately there was something terribly wrong. She could feel an agonizing and starving hunger deep within her body moving its way out from her core toward her limbs. Different than the normal grumblings of a missed meal, this was a craving much deeper and all consuming in its nature. It was as if the various parts of her being were crying out together for nourishment, for food. The pain of her need was desperate, nearly uncontrollable. The message was clear; she had to eat, to feed.

Her body began to rise upward, and now she could feel it hovering over the blankets of her bed. The black cloudy mist was surrounding her, making it too dark to see anything within the room. Anna recognized the mist as the same murky blackness she had seen in the woods earlier that day; its dark inky coldness was working to smoother her. She finally saw a faint light coming from under her bedroom door and she instinctually hovered toward its dim glow. She wanted to open the door, but her body didn't seem to have limbs anymore with which to grasp the knob. She floated up and over the door, desperately looking for a way out, _but what would it take to open it?_

She felt her body floating within the cold blackness down the walls surrounding the door's frame to the floor where the light was shining in under its bottom edge. _That's the way out,_ she thought to herself, as the driving pain of hunger continued to lead her onward. She hovered there, studying the crack, and then easily slid through to the dimly lit hallway on the other side.

She was closer now; she could feel it. Food was very near. She glided within the mist toward the staircase, thinking of the kitchen, but then stopped. For no explainable reason, she knew what she needed wasn't down the stairs. She slowly turned to look down the dark hallway. There was another weak light coming from under a door just a few yards away.

_There!_ She thought hungrily to herself. _Food!_ She floated across the carpet flat to the floor, and then to the wall and onto the ceiling. Slowly inching her way toward the light, the cold blackness continued to drive her forward, pressing her almost unconsciously into service toward its needs. She finally reached the door and laid herself flat against its wood, her smoke-like form spreading itself to its fullest extent against its paneled surface and walls surrounding it.

_Yes — food was there — just inside, _she could smell it, almost taste the warm flesh. She swooped down to the bottom of the door once again and moved through the tiny space beneath. The room inside was dark, except for the minute light shining from a small lamp on a table next to the bed. _It was there — very close now. _The pangs of starvation radiating through her body were getting worse with anticipation as she continued, now almost completely without thought. She reached the end of the bed and glided up one of its legs to the blankets on top.

_There,_ she thought with an irrepressible eagerness pressing her forward. She slowly moved up toward the mound buried within the layers of bedding. She was so close now; she could feel its balmy breath, its heart beating in quiet slumber. As she moved closer, she could see the leading edge of the thing that contained her preceding her gaze. Its satin-like edge rippled and delicately shimmered before her as it reached out and made contact with the mound lying deep under the covers. She could feel the mass beneath her quietly shudder at her cold touch, even through the thick and piled blankets. She continued toward the head and there, finally, she found what her body was starving for — _food!_ She saw the face of the prey she was seeking, quietly sleeping with his mouth open. Anna reached down, and allowed the black shroud that was her body to touch the warm face. The reaction was instantaneous — Damon's eyes popped open and looked up at her in horror.

"What the?" but he never finished what he was about to say. In an instant, she enveloped him. Damon struggled and fought as hard as he could, but the dark unknown creature attacking him had wrapped tight around his entire body, cutting off his air supply. He was jerking and trying to reach out, grabbing onto whatever he could, but his arms were drawn tight against his body. She had him, and in short order she knew his struggles would weaken. Then she would feed; absorb him totally within the folds of her blackness and into the starving soul begging for the relief that would only come from nourishment such as this. She could see the unknown, unrecognizable face below her struggling, gapping for air.

_Sssshhh,_ Anna tried to say, _be_ _still…It will be over soon — there's no need to struggle. _But there were no words; no sound coming from her nonexistent mouth, only the muffled moans now fading beneath her. _That's right, relax; it will be over soon, Damon;_ and that's when she realized, it was Damon. It was her own brother she was smothering to death in this terrible icy grip. What was she doing? And as soon as she realized what was happening, the misty clouds surrounding her eyes began to suddenly clear. She could see Damon struggling in front of her. She had to stop; she had to let him go. _What am I doing?_ Then all at once, Damon gasped his first breath of life-sparing oxygen in nearly two minutes. His body began heaving for all the air it could manage.

"It's okay," said Anna, still hovering over him. Her voice was beginning to return in a wispy murmur. "You're all right now," she said, reassuringly. Damon opened his eyes and looked up in horror.

"ANNA!" he screamed, still gasping to catch his breath. "What are you…? What are you doing? You're — trying to kill me!"

"No…I was just trying…"

"Get off!" he screamed. Damon placed both of his hands upon Anna's cold wintry face and shoved her back hard. She flew back, but her body, still enveloped within the misty blackness, stopped in mid-air. Instinct instantly took over again, and she immediately shot back onto Damon's body, smothering him again. Damon began sucking nothingness, gaping wildly for air, breaking through only intermittently to gasp out a few words.

"Anna…Stop…Stop it…" came his choked appeal, but it was as if Anna had lost her ability to control what she was doing again. The black shroud that was her body had completely taken control, and she seemed lost to influence her own actions. But it seemed the internal struggle between her mind and the thing attacking her brother was making both of them weaker, and Damon was able to keep his hands free of her icy grip. His open mouth was struggling for oxygen as he reached wildly to the sides of the bed, looking for something, anything, to fight his sister off.

He felt his fingers wrapping around the familiar handle of his wand on the bed stand. He raised and pointed the wand at Anna's face trying to speak, but nothing was heard; without air, he couldn't form the proper words of the spell. He tried to concentrate on the words in his mind, but his panic was getting in the way. He began stabbing at her image, but his hand passed straight through her icy form, piercing the open space behind her. His eyes were bulging in terror, as he gouged at the face within the terrible mist. He shoved the wand between Anna's eyes, but there was no reaction to his effort. With a look of horror, Damon began waving his wand through the cloudy face, which did nothing, but to mix and swirl its misty features.

Anna's view of Damon began to blur. _I must stop…Let him go,_ she thought. _S__top it!_ Immediately her vision began to clear again, and Damon gasped for the air that Anna's body suddenly allowed to pass through to his face. He looked up and, suddenly seeing her image clearer than before, pointed his wand directly into her face. He wheezed out a faint, "_Stupefy…"_ and red sparks shot from his wand and straight through Anna's head.

Although she never felt it, the curse passed straight through her cloudy form and into the ceiling above. Large pieces of plaster and wood fell down upon them, breaking her focus just enough for Damon to reach up and shove Anna's now nearly solid face away from him again. She flew backwards across the foot of the bed toward the wall, but once again, stopped in mid-air before him.

Damon rose up, still coughing and gasping for air. He looked wildly around the room, hunting for Anna in the darkness. "_Stupefy_! _Stupefy_! _STUPEFY_!" he bellowed, shooting curses into the room. One of the blasts passed straight through Anna's body again, and smashed into the mirror standing behind her. She could hear voices suddenly coming from the hallway outside. One of the twins was hollering, and now heavy footsteps could be heard thumping outside the door.

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure — it sounded like an explosion."

"Where did it come from?"

Damon started yelling, "In here…I'm being attacked! Get in here!" he screamed, blasting curses into the room again as Anna's black formless body slid to the floor at the foot of the bed.

Anna could hear her father's loud voice yelling in the hallway. She immediately tried to call out to him, _Daddy — help me. Pleeasseee…I don't know what's happening to me…Help me. _But, again, Anna couldn't form the sounds necessary to be heard.

"That was Damon!" yelled Dowla.

"Yes! Quickly — get out of the way," blurted her father's voice. There were more heavy steps running; they were coming closer. The knob to Damon's door rattled. "It's locked!"

"Father! Get in here!" Damon screamed, still blindly blasting and cursing the room around him. _"Stupefy…Stupefy_!" he yelled.

"Stand back!" roared Mister Grayson. There was a loud BOOM, and the door suddenly flew off its hinges in a violent blast. Anna's father bolted across the threshold, wand raised, his eyes scanning the room's blackness.

"Damon…Where are you?" he yelled.

"I'm over here. It's Anna…She's trying to kill me!" Damon yelled back, standing on his knees. His outstretched hand was gripping his wand, searching for a target in the light now stretching into the room from the open doorway.

"What? What are you saying, boy?" yelled his father. "Turn on the lights!" There was a sharp click, and the room brightened by the light from one of the nightstands.

Mister Grayson saw Damon rising to stand on the bed. "Are you all right?" he yelled. Anna could see her father standing on top of the door laying flat on the floor, his wand pointing into the room above her. Her brother Eric was standing next to him. He too was armed with a wand. Dowla and Tencha moved to step into the room as well, but Mister Grayson stopped them.

"Stay back!" he yelped, waving his free hand behind his back.

"Anna was in here; she was — trying to smoother me!" Damon shrieked, angrily.

"What? Nonsense! Don't be ridiculous," said Mister Grayson, sharply. "You say Anna was here? Where is she?"

"I'm telling you — it was her. She's still in here somewhere," insisted Damon, still pointing his wand into what looked like an empty room.

"Anna? Are you in here?" called her brother, Eric.

"Where is she?" yelled her father. "Tencha — check her room!" Anna could hear the footsteps of somebody running down the hallway.

"She's not in her room," Tencha's voice yelled back.

Anna tried to speak, but in her current form there were no words.

"Anna!" screamed Mister Grayson. "Where are you? Anna!"

_Here, father,_ Anna struggled to say, but they couldn't hear her.

"ANNA!" screamed Mister Grayson loudly again.

_I'm here, father; I'm right here!_ Anna screamed with her mind, praying she might be heard. She tried to calm herself, concentrating on the warmth of all the bodies she could feel gathering in the room above her. It seemed to work, and Anna's vision began to clear again.

"I'm here, father," she said, this time in a barely audible tone.

"Did you hear that?" Eric whispered to their father. "Anna — where are you?"

"She's here! You heard her…I told you she was here," yelled Damon, who was now standing on the bed, his wand shoulder high at the ready.

"Quiet — son! Let me listen! Anna? Where are you, sweetheart?" Everybody froze waiting for a response.

Anna could see the leading edges of her dark form ripple as she began to rise from the floor.

"Look — there on the floor…What is that?" yelled Dowla, pointing at the misty black form moving at the foot of Damon's bed. Damon jumped to the floor and ran toward his father, looking down at the mist.

"That's it! That's what attacked me! It's Anna!" Damon yelled, pointing his wand.

"What are you talking about? It looks more like the smoke from one of your curses," Eric said with a chuckle, stepping forward as if to get a better look.

"STOP!" their stunned father shuddered, his voice filled with fear. "Don't…move!"

The black mist continued to rise, finally standing fully upright before them.

"LETHIFOLD!" whispered Mister Grayson, pointing with his wand hand.

"KILL IT!" screamed Damon, raising his own wand to strike.

"Wait!" yelled Eric, who was pointing at the living shadow as well.

Anna was floating erect, her cold body starving from a form of hunger she never could have imagined ever existed. She could barely see her family standing in front of her through her own blackness. "Daddy — it's me. It's Anna," she managed to say.

"Oh, my God — look!" screamed Dowla, pointing at the nearly transparent face deep within the folds of the creature's black shape.

"Anna!" yelled Eric. "It's got Anna!"

"KILL IT!" screamed Damon again.

"WAIT!" bellowed Mister Grayson. "Wait…" he repeated again, softly this time. He took a step forward and stared disbelievingly at his daughter's nearly black face. "But how…How can this be? Here — in our own home? How could it happen again?" Mister Grayson seemed to be talking to himself as he took in the sight before him. "Anna…Can you hear me? Sweetheart…Can you see me?"

"Yes, father," said Anna, in a whimpered voice. "Please — what's happening to me?" She began to cry.

"My God, father, the thing has her; it's got Anna…What can we do?" Eric asked desperately in a whispered voice, still pointing a shaking wand at the creature.

"Sssshhhhhh, be quiet!" Mister Grayson hissed again, "Anna…Don't be afraid, honey. Daddy is here...I'm going to help you."

"Please, daddy…I'm so cold…I'm so hungry…" Anna replied, wispily.

"Okay, sweetheart — I understand. I'll get you something to eat. Can you see me? Can you move?"

Anna tried to change her position, testing her control; she slowly turned to face what was left of Damon's mirror behind her. She was horrified by what she saw. Her body was completely gone. Only a tall oval shaped blackness was standing draped before her. The creature looked like a black shroud, covering a dead body standing in the room. And near its top was Anna's nearly black face staring out through the terrible mist. Anna tried to scream, whirling around to face her family.

"What's happening to me? What is this? Daddy, what should I do?" she yelled, in a panic.

"I don't — know, Anna, but daddy is here and I'm going to fix this…I promise…I'm going to help you."

"Father," Eric whispered, in a terrified undertone, "if that thing's already absorbed her — what can we do? What can anybody do?"

"KILL IT!" screamed Damon. He suddenly raised his wand.

BANG! Another red curse shot through the air and right through Anna's body.

"STOP!" screamed Mister Grayson, snatching the wand out of his son's hand.

Anna's vision started to cloud over again. They were attacking her; they were trying to kill her. She had to run; she had to escape. The instincts of the creature were taking over again as she began to crawl up the side of the wall and onto the ceiling. She had to get out; everybody was trying to kill her.

"What's it doing?" asked Eric, whispering next to his father's ear.

"I don't know. I…" but then Mister Grayson suddenly did know; he realized what the creature was planning. "My God…It's looking for a way out…It's trying to get away! Anna!" Mister Grayson raised his voice desperately. He knew that if the creature got outside, his daughter might be lost forever.

"Guard the door. Don't let it get by you," he yelled at Eric, placing an unsteady hand on his son's shoulder.

"But how, father? What do I do? How do we stop it?" asked Eric, who grabbed his father's elbow to keep him from walking away.

"The _Patronus Charm_; only a patronus has been known to work. But nobody knows if…"

"Father!" whispered Tencha, in a frightened voice. "The window — look!"

They all turned to look across the room, and could suddenly see the glass in Damon's window was cracked. The blast from one of his many curses had broken the sash and several small holes were now visible through its thin glass. A slight breeze from the outside was softly bellowing the curtains into the room.

"No!" whispered their father. "It must be repaired," he said, quickly raising his wand, but it was too late. Anna was already moving toward the frame.

"STOP!" yelled Mister Grayson, who stepped quickly across the room toward the fleeing creature. But Anna was already at the window; she could smell the air outside calling to her. She covered the entire windowpane with her shroud-like body, her face looking back into the room behind her. She could see her father moving toward her, his wand outstretched in his hand.

"NO!" he yelled, but Anna, fearing another attack, moved back against the glass. Her smoky form passed easily through the many holes in the window, pushing itself out and into the night. As her dark body melded together again, the creature began to slide down the wall of the house.

Panicking, Mister Grayson blasted the remaining window, its frame, and half the wall away with a desperate flash from his wand. The explosion from his curse sent rock and rubble flying into the yard twenty feet below. He peered over the edge of the building screaming.

"Anna! No — come back. Bring her back! Anna! ANNA!" He could see the creature sliding down the wall and finally touch down upon the ground; it was heading for the woods.

"You will not take her!" he screamed, and in desperation, he pointed his wand and yelled, "_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" At once, a brilliant light shot out of the end of his wand. It immediately formed itself into a large animal with bright luminous horns. It was a gleaming, dazzling white bull.

The _patronus_ ran down the wall of the manor and across the lawn toward the barely visible creature now gliding across the ground near the entrance to the dark woods. The charging beast reached the Lethifold within seconds and, scooping up the folds of the shroud onto its mighty horns, it tossed the creature back over its massive shoulders behind it. The shadowed Lethifold was thrown into the branches of a large tree, and Anna, frightened, and not realizing what her father was trying to do, immediately moved to escape. She quickly crawled higher into the branches of the tree and around to the back facing the woods. She froze there, hoping the darkness of the tree's canopy would conceal her. The bull patronus was already heading back to its creator, back to Anna's father; she was safe. Anna slid down the tree to the warm littered ground, and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Mister Grayson was screaming, "NO! NOOOOO! Anna, come back! Don't take her! Don't take her from me! No! No! No!" The man sank to his knees in utter despair. "Victoria, forgive me! It's taken her. It's taken our baby. No!" He fell forward against the edge of the enormous hole overlooking the dark grounds of the estate, his cries echoing into the night. "Nooooooooooo!"

73


	8. Sanctuary

Chapter 8d12- Sanctuary

Chapter 8

Sanctuary

ONE

Mister Grayson was kneeling against the hole in the wall, muttering painfully into the night sky around him. "Please, God, no…Don't let this happen…Don't take her from me…Please no!"

"Father!" yelled Eric, running over to him. He grabbed Mister Grayson by the arms and turned him around to see his face. "It isn't too late. We have to go out and search for her before that thing gets away. We can still find her. Do you hear me, father? Come on!" Eric was urgently shaking his father, who seemed to be in the deepest throws of despair. Mister Grayson looked up into his Eric's determined face and immediately took strength in his son's resolve.

"Yes…. YES! You're right, son; it isn't too late." He grabbed Eric by the arm and used it to stand, his familiar assuredness returning quickly. Eric could see his father's legendary mind formulating a plan of counterattack even as he spoke. "There is a way, but we'll need help. I want you to place a call into the Ministry immediately. Try and make contact with a Dorna Smattigan in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Tell her what's happened, and tell her to get her team over here right away. Tell her to contact the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. She'll know who's on call, and she'll rally the necessary departments. I'll try to contain the creature and keep it on the grounds."

"But how, father? How?" asked Eric, but Mister Grayson was already turning to face the opening to the woods again. He raised his arms into the cold evening air and, with his wand stretched out before him, he shouted, _"__Rutilus_ _Capturus!"_ Immediately, a thick brass colored light shot from the end of his wand into the dark sky. It exploded like a skyrocket in the blackness over the trees, and then rained down to the ground like a golden cage surrounding the woods around them. Eric looked up in astonishment as the walls of the great dome touched down, silhouetting every tree by the light of its golden backdrop. His father turned.

"That should hold the creature on the grounds until help arrives. I don't think it can move fast enough to have gotten as far as my boundaries," he said breathlessly, a note of increased hope building in his voice.

Eric looked out over the grounds and the far-off dome deep in the woods. "I agree," he said triumphantly. "Brilliant, father!"

"Let's not pat ourselves too soon… we haven't got her back yet. I'm going out to begin the search. Every second counts now."

"I'll make the calls and then join you," said Eric as he turned toward the door.

"NO!" Mister Grayson grabbed Eric by the arm. "You will wait here with the others until the Ministry gets here," he said sternly.

"But — father!" Eric started to protest.

"Stay here, I say! You must protect them while I'm in the woods," Mister Grayson argued back, pointing to the other children. "The creature might strike again, and I can't be worried about them while I'm searching for Anna. Join me when help arrives. The creature was last seen heading west — that's where I'm going. Take a Ministry wizard with you when they arrive and join me when you can, but do not go out on your own. Do you understand? There is safety in numbers. Ask them to search the north and the south simultaneously, and then we'll head east if we can't locate it. I'll alert the Porchdows and ask Samuel to join me. With any luck…" but his voice waned as he headed for the children still standing in the blasted doorway.

"What should we do, daddy?" asked Dowla, fearful tears building in her eyes.

Mister Grayson looked at each of his children in turn. "You girls get your wands and stay with Damon. If anything happens, send red sparks into the air." He handed Damon his wand back. "Guard the house, son," he said, with a determined look etched into his face. He grabbed and hugged them all. "We'll find her... I promise," he said, and then he left them with Eric following close behind.

TWO

Anna was cold, colder than she had ever felt in her entire life. As she floated along the ground and through the woods surrounding her, the panic she felt earlier began to subside. If she had the ability to cry, she would have already done so. Her father, her own family, was trying to kill her. _Why had they attacked her? _

Time passed quickly as she moved along, and as it did she found it harder to concentrate. A few moments later, Anna could barely remember why she had been afraid, or even why she was fleeing. The starvation deep within her body had replaced her fear. She was hunting again. A bright golden glow, as if from a dropping curtain, was falling in the woods in front of her. She turned away to avoid the light, and headed back into the darkest corners of the woods again.

Anna slowly hovered, ever reaching, across the fallen needles and leaves, checking every crevice and hole, looking for anything that might keep her alive and bring to an end the aching stabbing pains of hunger. She could barely breathe the air around her cold body. It was oppressive, stifling and desiccated, like that of a dry desert, and she knew the air in this strange place was working against her; soon, it would destroy her. She had to find a place underground where the air would be cool, wet, and breathable again; but first, she had to feed if she was going to survive the night. Anna knew her own death was very near. The forces of starvation and breathless suffocation were fighting to finish her. She crept stealthily along the ground, and fell upon a mound of dirt two feet high above the litter of the forest floor. She halted.

It was food. Her icy body quickly stretched itself over the warm mound, and then reached desperately inside the many holes dotting its exterior. She reached deep and found them all sleeping underground. Ants: thousands of them. They were instantly immobilized by her cold touch, and she immediately absorbed them wholly into her dark folds. She could feel her strength slowly increasing, and the more of the tiny creatures she consumed, the more aggressive she became, reaching deeper still into their dark home.

After fifteen minutes, she moved on, still hungry, but strengthened enough to continue her search for more. She knew she wouldn't be able to continue much longer. She was suffocating; and just as she found herself choosing between breathing and hunting, she found it. There was a warm glow in front of her, lying close to the base of a dead tree. _Food!_ Anna raced to the spot… she could taste its breath, loaded with the smell of sweet carbon, an exhilarating mixture of warmth and moisture wafting over her senses like an intoxicating drink. Unlike the tiny insects she was forced to consume earlier, this serving was bigger — much bigger.

She quietly crept up on the warm creature sleeping in the darkness, and then, ever so slowly, her folds surrounded it. She couldn't fail this time. She couldn't let it escape as her prey had done before; this time, her very life depended on her success. She could see the animal curled in a bed of leaves, its breathing smooth and shallow, a fully-grown deer in unsuspecting slumber. Anna rose slightly and then quickly launched her black shroud-like body onto the creature. In less than a second, she had completely engulfed the animal, clamping it down within her smothering grip. The deer woke with a start, and cried out in shock at being attacked in its sleep. It struggled hopelessly against its attacker, trying to kick and twist its way free, but the Lethifold had a throttling hold. The deer could feel the thing's coldness seeping into its mouth and lungs, filling all the spaces in which air might exist. There was no escape.

_Shhh…Quite now… go back to sleep. Everything is all right, _Anna tried to tell the creature struggling under her, and, eventually, the deer fell into the endless sleep from which captured prey never awaken.

Over the next hour, Anna fully absorbed everything about the animal, and she could feel the sharp knives of starvation slowly ebbing away. Finally, a satisfying contentment passed through the deepest part of her being; Anna had never felt so satisfied. Even her ability to breath seemed easier, but she still had needs. She had to find shelter, a place she could breathe the moist humid air her body needed to fully digest this meal.

And that's when she heard them, the many voices in the woods surrounding her. They were coming; those who wanted to hurt her, to kill her. She had to escape, find a place to hide. She turned and headed away from the noise of the things walking in her direction, each proceeded by ugly beams of bright white light. She had to flee; she was now the prey. Anna quickly began drifting through the woods away from the strange voices and pounding feet. Although her meal had strengthened her, the hot, unbreathable air was hampering her movement.

Then something unexpected appeared ahead of her; a dim flickering light coming from a small stone building pushed into the side of a hill. The structure was somehow familiar to her, and, for some unexplainable reason, she knew she would be safe there within its walls. Anna's vision was clearing as she concentrated on the tiny dim lights she could see through the cracks in the walls. A single word kept coming into her mind as she approached…_Sanctuary! _This place would protect her.

She moved to the door and quickly squeezed under its bottom edge. A single candle was glowing on a stone alter at the front of the room opposite. Unrecognizable images hung on the walls, delivering the strangest form of comfort and strength to her. The air was mercifully damp and moist, and she knew she had the place in which she would survive the night if left undisturbed.

As her body slowly began to warm, she could feel the icy black coldness encasing her form begin to fall away. The heavy shadows floating around her eyes were starting to clear once more, and she could feel something hard pushing upward under her body, like some uncomfortable mattress rising out of the floor beneath her. Anna was exhausted, and although she could hear the voices of her pursuers coming closer outside, she didn't have the energy to care anymore. She finally closed her mind, surrendering to her approaching fate, and fell into a deep sleep.

In the far off distance, Anna could hear the rattling of a door. It opened, and the light of several wands suddenly moved into her hiding place. There was anxious yelling, and more thumping steps could be heard running toward the building outside. There was the scream of a familiar name, "ANNA!" that came from an almost recognizable voice closest to where she lay. She felt her body being turned and lifted into the air by a set of strong caring arms. They were running now; through the woods at great speed as more voices gathered in around her.

"Clear the way!"

"We found her!"

"We found the girl!"

"Is she alive?"

"Call the healers!"

"Make way — get her to the house!"

Several lights flickered and flashed as the person carrying her continued to run through the woods; she could hear his strained breathing as he moved along. Loud whistles and columns of colored light shot into the air above her, exploding in a shower of dazzling red sparks. Anna opened her eyes and looked up into the grimacing face of her brother Eric, who was struggling to carry her to safety.

"Eric…you found me…I'm cold…so cold… I couldn't breathe… I…" but Anna's returning and muttered voice, mixed with sobs, trailed off into an inaudible whimper.

"I have you, Anna. I have you. You're all right now. I'm taking you back to the house. You're safe now," her brother panted, as the Grayson estate finally came into view. "Get my father; find a healer — quick!" he screamed. "Almost there, Anna; hang in there… you're almost home."

Bright lights burst into Anna's head as Eric kicked open the front doors into the entryway. A dozen wizards and witches followed them in, yelling for help.

"Where's the healer?"

"We need help over here!"

"Eric's found the girl!"

"Hoppin toadstools! Git the misses into the parlor — quick! I'll git the whisky!" yelled Cookie, floating from atop his newel post. He then zoomed out of the room toward the kitchen. Many of the images in the paintings were pointing worriedly at Anna as her brother carried her across the room.

"Somebody find daddy! Tell him they found Anna," screamed Dowla's familiar voice.

Eric carried his sister into the family room and finally laid her limp shaking body on a couch next to a warm fire. A number of blankets were thrown on top of her, and several hands reached in to wrap her tight.

"Let me through…Get out of the way!" yelled Mister Grayson, who ran into the house to find his daughter barely conscious on the couch. "Anna! Is she all right? Is she…?" but her father's voice was growing faint as Anna's mind began to slip away. "You're safe now, honey…Daddy is here." His words startled her.

"No — we're not safe. The creature is here…It's still here…It's inside me…" Anna muttered, as panic finally gave in to exhaustion, and everything faded to black.

THREE

When Anna awoke, her eyes were throbbing from the noonday light before she opened her eyelids. She kept them closed. For the first time since the night before she was finally warm. She could hear her father, who was sitting in a chair next to her bed, speaking to Eric.

"So — you found her lying on the floor inside the old stone chapel?" asked Mister Grayson in a soft whisper.

"Yes, sir…After the ministry arrived I spoke with Smattigan about the creature. She told me almost nothing is known about the Lethifold, other than that one encounter with Belby in New Guinea sometime in the eighteenth century," Eric replied.

Eric had heard the story of Flavius Belby, a wizard who had once been the only known survivor of a Lethifold attack. His encounter was well documented in the book, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, which was required reading for all wizarding students attending Castlewood.

Anna's brother continued. "The CDDC wizards were very impressed with your knowledge that the _patronus_ charm is the only known defense against the Lethifold, and how you were able to keep your mind focused enough to conjure it under the pressure of the moment. They believe your spell probably saved Anna's life. They can't be sure, of course, because they haven't been able to find the creature yet. After I found Anna in the chapel, they started to believe you might have killed the creature before it had a chance to fully absorb her."

Eric's father seemed unconvinced. "Hmmm…I don't know about that. I'm not convinced the creature is gone. It could still be out there… waiting for darkness before continuing its escape." said Mister Grayson, in a very reserved tone.

"But father — why else would the creature release her if not because it died from some kind of injury it received from your spell? When I found Anna, she was lying on top of a dead deer. Apparently the creature attacked that animal after it entered the woods. Both the deer and Anna were found together, but the Lethifold couldn't be located. It must be dead."

Mister Grayson sighed. "I disagree. I have reason to believe it's not that simple. I believe there might be something different about Anna that kept her from being killed last night."

"What?" whispered Eric in shock, "What do you mean, father? What could Anna have done to protect herself? She looked completely absorbed when we saw her in Damon's room?"

Anna lay in her bed motionless, listening to their conversation. She was terrified. She suddenly realized her father and Eric did not know the truth. They didn't know what Anna knew deep inside. The creature they saw last night did not take her, as they believed. She was never attacked; she had become that monster. Anna could still feel the creature's coldness deep within her soul, even as she lay there in her own bed listening. It wanted to come out again. Anna knew it was still there, ready to pounce, ready to kill. Should she tell her father? She had to. If she didn't tell the truth, and they believed the creature was gone, what would happen if she turned into that thing again? What if she attacked Eric or her father while they slept? No…She wouldn't allow that to happen. She would rather die, locked in a cage, than allow the thing inside her to hurt her family. Her thoughts were interrupted by her father's voice once again.

"I won't try to explain now why I believe Anna has some kind of protection. Even if it turns out to be true, I couldn't account as to how such a thing might be possible. That's why I want the Ministry to continue their search here on the grounds before pursuing my suspicions."

Just then, there was a knock on Anna's bedroom door, and Eric stood to answer it. A very short, portly man was standing in the doorway slowly turning a bright orange beret in his hands. He seemed rather worried.

"Sorry to disturb you, Eric, but… could we have a word with your father, please?"

Eric motioned to his father to join them. Anna kept her eyes closed as Mister Grayson leaned over to check her, and then turned toward the open doorway.

"Hello, sir. My name is Hobbs — Charles Hobbs — from the CDDC. I won't keep you long; I just wanted to report our findings." said the short Ministry wizard. There was second, taller man standing next to Hobbs in the hallway.

"You've found the creature then?" asked Mister Grayson, hopefully.

Anna wanted to scream out, to tell them her secret. _They couldn't have found it, daddy. The creature is still here. It's hiding inside of me._

"No, sir, there are no signs of the beast anywhere on the grounds. As a result of our findings, we have decided to drop the _Rutilus_ dome," said the wizard nervously.

"What! That should have been cleared with me first! What are you people…"

"Sir, please…Let me finish," interrupted Hobbs, glancing over to ensure Anna was still sleeping. "Mister Grayson… we wouldn't have taken the dome down unless we were one-hundred percent certain the beast was not on the estate property, and the chances of our team missing something like this are far less than the trouble we're causing by leaving the spell in place. We cannot keep the Muggles from noticing something so large for very long. We've already had to perform a memory charm on three Muggles so far who were found around the outer rim. One of them, Mister Grayson, was a reporter from one of the local newspapers."

Mister Grayson dropped his head in despair. He hated the thought of modifying the memory of any Muggle.

"Besides, we believe the ministry can provide ample protection for you and your family, at least until your children have left for school in the next few days. After that, we will find a more permanent solution." Hobbs finished, and then looked up at Mister Grayson who was staring at him with a stern look of disapproval. "Be reasonable, Director," persisted Hobbs, "the Muggles…"

"All right — all right! You're right, of course," Mister Grayson said, waving the man off with a frustrated gesture, "but I want to personally review your security plans on a daily basis," he said, poking his finger into the wizard's barrel-like chest.

"Of course, sir. A man in your position should be given every opportunity to improve what it is we're doing," replied the wizard with a reassuring smile. He then paused to glance over to the man standing next to him. "Mister Grayson," Hobbs continued, in an uneasy tone, "it's time for us to discuss how this could have happened. I mean…A Lethifold! Wow… I should say. There are many of us on the grounds today, sir, who really hope to capture this creature alive. What a find! It's really quite exciting," he said, a bright enthusiastic smile budding eagerly on his face. Mister Grayson did not share the man's enthusiasm for a creature that had just attacked two of his children.

Eric was furious, "That thing tried to kill us! This isn't supposed to be an opportunity for you to study some new pet we've just picked up…" but this father grasped Eric by the shoulder and stopped him from saying more. Mister Grayson's eyes were burning into Hobb's face, a deadly twist coiling in his upper lip.

Hobbs, looking very uncomfortable, tried to recover. "Ahhh — yes — sorry, sir. I — ahhh, well, begging your pardon…In light of the circumstances, here today, I mean…I didn't mean to offend..."

"You were saying…?" said Mister Grayson, in a very impatient tone.

"Ah…yes…Well, the thing is, sir… How did the creature get here? That's the question, isn't it?" Hobbs said, still sounding amused. "This beast is _extremely_ rare, and has only been known to live in the most humid and remote tropics. To find one here on the coast of California is…well — it's unheard of, sir, isn't it? Something like this couldn't possibly survive here for that long a time. It would be impossible. The dry air alone would probably kill it within hours of its arrival. In fact, that's probably why your daughter survived the attack in the first place. This thing must have absorbed her, but died either from your spell," he leaned in close to Mister Grayson to whisper, "which was brilliant by the way, sir…" he fell back, "or from the dry climate. The environment in this part of the world would be most dangerous to a creature like that, and probably wouldn't allow it to properly digest its meal. We're thinking it most certainly died, leaving the girl behind as it...ah…well…as it passed on."

Eric spoke again. "But if the creature died because it was traveling in an area hostile to its survival, then how did it get here in the first place?"

"Ah… yes," replied Hobbs, looking down and spinning his hat again. "That is an important question, and the reason we have contacted the Office of Wizard Law Enforcement," said Hobbs, who then stepped aside to motion the man standing behind him forward

"Hello, Mister Grayson. My name is Lieutenant Farren Doyle of the Ministry Authority," said the tall man, who then entered the room and weakly reached out to shake Mister Grayson's hand.

"What?" said Eric in surprise, "but… there's been no crime here? This was simply a strange case of a rare creature attacking a member of our fam…"

"Eric — please," Mister Grayson interrupted. "The call to the Wizard Authority is prudent and, frankly, in this case, it was expected."

Stunned by his father's words, Eric stood dumbstruck. Mr. Doyle was looking into Mister Grayson's eyes, impressed with the man's ability to quickly understand what was not obvious to his son.

"You recognize our concern here, Director?" said Doyle, in a lowered voice. "I'm here to ensure your security, and to try and ascertain if the circumstances surrounding these attacks were a random opportunity taken by an unbelievably rare creature," the detective paused, shrugging his shoulders deliberately, "or… something more. I think you understand my meaning, Mister Grayson. Your position as Director, sir, is somewhat unique in the Wizarding world, and has been known to be… somewhat dangerous to you personally." The wizard detective seemed to be looking down, but his eyes were peering up into Mister Grayson's gaze, waiting for his reaction.

"Dangerous? What are you talking about?" laughed Eric, who then turned to look at his father with a dismissive smile. The very idea that his father's position might be somehow dangerous was rather silly, and he found the detective's comments almost too ridiculous to consider. Mister Grayson, however, didn't seem at all surprised by Doyle's observations. In fact, he was nodding his head in agreement. Eric's face dropped, "Father…What's he saying? What is he talking about?"

"Eric," Doyle whispered. "Your father is a very well-known man throughout the Wizarding world. Not only that, but he holds a position that, by its very existence, allows wizards and Muggles to share and depend on each other as never before. Well…think about that for a moment. Not everybody would agree this is a good thing." Eric still seemed unsure of what Doyle was trying to say.

Mister Grayson folded his arms and then turned toward his son. "There are forces in this world, Eric," he said, offhandedly, "who would do anything to stop what we have been able to accomplish out of my office. There were once dark forces looking for any opportunity to stop our getting so close to the Muggles. Although, I must admit, attacking my family in this manner is somewhat unorthodox…we should have anticipated it anyway. I blame myself for not…"

"What? What do you mean, 'We should have anticipated this'?" Eric yelped, in an unusually high voice. "Father, you never could have foreseen…"

"I mean to say… It's been tried before…" Mister Grayson said, placing his hand on Eric's chest to calm him. "There have been other assassination attempts on my life in the past."

81


	9. The Letter

Chapter 9d13 The Letter

Chapter 9

The Letter

Eric was stunned, totally speechless. Anna, listening from her bed, immediately bolted upright. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Mister Grayson continued. "I never told you children because I didn't want you worried about my safety. There were several attempts to assassinate me sixteen years ago, right after I took my post at the bank, and they continued over the next five years. You might recall I took the family to Indonesia that summer for a vacation. The real reason we left was because somebody tired to kill me outside the ministry offices in Sacramento. Apparently, they wanted to send a clear message that my position encouraging more contact with Muggles in the Wizarding world was unacceptable to them. Eventually, one of the men planning my death was caught. He was a remnant supporter of the nameless-one… Lord Voldemort."

Hobbs squinted at the sound of the name. Nobody in the wizarding world ever repeated Voldemort's name out loud for fear of his lingering power. Anna had heard the story of Voldemort many times. He had once been the most powerful dark wizard in more than a hundred years. At one time, Voldemort's forces where strong and gaining momentum as they began a terrible campaign of murder and destruction. Their final ambition was to take control of the entire Wizarding world. Voldemort's hate for the Muggles was especially wicked, and they unknowingly were at the greatest risk from his evil reach.

And then, almost thirteen years ago, and just a few weeks before Anna was born, something strange happened. Lord Voldemort suddenly disappeared and was never heard from again. There were stories, of course; almost legendary tales about a young boy, barely a year old, who defeated Voldemort after the Dark Lord had killed the boy's parents. That boy's name was Harry Potter. Nobody really understood how young Harry had defeated Voldemort, but he was famous for it. And then, just three years ago, Harry Potter surfaced again to begin his wizard training at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England. Anna had often heard her father speaking of Harry and Voldemort in a manner that suggested the unbelievable possibility that their battles were still on-going.

Mister Grayson continued, "There have been a few more rather aggressive attempts on my life since then, but they have become somewhat feeble over the years since Voldemort's demise." Mister Grayson turned to Doyle again. "If what you're suggesting is true, then this attempt on my family would represent a dramatic departure from what we've seen in the past. I'm not convinced using a creature like this to bring me harm fits the mold of an assassination. Something like this would have taken years to plan. Think of it… just the effort to capture the creature would have been challenging enough, and then to find a way to bring it here and place it on the grounds without my knowledge? To what advantage? From what you've said yourself, the creature would have only had a few hours at most to attack us before dying in the hot climate."

"Yes," Eric added, still staring at his father in disbelief, "and there are plenty of other animals on the grounds to hunt. It would have been far easier, and a lot less risky, to attack one of them rather than entering the house looking for us. In fact the creature killed a deer either before or just after it took Anna. It doesn't make sense that this could have been something planned."

Hobbs nodded. "I have to admit… what you say is true. But these beasts are drawn to heat and to the breathing of their prey when hunting after sunset. We really know so little about these creatures; it's hard to say what part of their behavior is normal."

"Just think for a moment about what happened here," added Doyle. "If someone did try to kill you last night, they might have found the perfect way to do it. They release the beast on the grounds close or actually in the house, it kills its victims, and then it dies. If given enough time, there might have been nothing left to understand what happened here. And who would assume Mister Grayson's post if something like this had succeeded? Putting aside the skill and knowledge necessary for the job… I doubt there would be any takers for the vacant position if word got out he'd been murdered. Fear is known to be a very effective tool in extending the wishes of those who…"

"Fear? Fear of what? Of Voldemort?" asked Eric, who now seemed angry at the very idea somebody might be trying to attack his family. Hobbs flinched again at hearing the Dark Lord's name.

"If you please, Eric, don't say that name," Hobbs begged, looking warily around the room.

Mister Grayson smiled slightly. "Mr. Hobbs… nearly everybody in the Wizarding world is afraid of the nameless-one, even though he's been gone for more than ten years. I believe, by refusing to say his name, we actually empower his followers with our fear. There are no such restrictions under this roof. The Graysons speak Voldemort's name openly and without fear."

Hobbs seemed shyly astonished by Mister Grayson's words. He had never met anybody who openly said they didn't fear Voldemort. Doyle looked impressed as well. Hobbs spoke in a hesitant tone. "Well… as I said sir, my expertise is rather limited to that of beasts and creatures, and not the ambitions of evil wizards. I'll leave that to Lieutenant Doyle here. There will be guards from the CDDC stationed around the property over the next week as we continue our search on the grounds. I will leave the higher matters of your personal security, and that of your family, to the offices of the Wizard Authority."

"Is you feelwing awright, Miss Anna?" said a squeaky voice to Anna's left. Anna turned and saw Gabby sitting next to her. The elf's ears were drooped down displaying her obvious concern.

"Yes, Gabby," Anna lied, "I'm… fine."

The little elf burst into crying sobs. "Oh we is so worried about you's," she wailed, throwing her arms around Anna's waist. Very wet tears were pouring out of her huge oval eyes.

"Anna!" sang Mister Grayson, who swept back into the room and over to Anna's bed. He hugged his daughter and the elf tightly together, choking back his own tears. "I thought I had lost you… I thought…" but he couldn't finish. Anna reached up and held her father close, sobbing as Mister Grayson kissed her forehead and cheeks and hugged her again.

"Ahhh… now that's a wonderful sight," said Lieutenant Doyle, still standing and smiling at the door. "Well, we'll leave you to your family, Eric, and my office will be in touch with your father later with an update on our investigation into these matters. I bid you goodnight," said the detective smartly, as he turned to walk back down the hallway.

Hobbs was shaking Eric's hand. He leaned forward to whisper, "If you can arrange it later, I would really like to interview Anna and Damon about their experience with the creature. I mean, having one living survivor of a Lethifold attack is unbelievable… but two? Wow… this is very exciting for us," he said, smiling broadly. Eric pulled his hand away in anger before moving to close the door. Hobbs was taken aback, "Oh… well if you need anything… I'll be just outside," he said concernedly, his eyes following the ever-narrowing gap in the door before Eric closed it in his face.

Eric walked over to the bed and tried to get through the many arms surrounding his sister. "Hey let me in on some of this good stuff," he said, smiling.

Anna released her father and reached up into Eric's waiting arms, Gabby still clutched tightly around her middle. "Oh Eric…you found me… You saved me. I was so cold," Anna said, still crying weakly.

Eric smiled. "Yes… and hungry too, you said," he chuckled, wiping her wet face.

"Eeeeekkk," Gabby squealed, "I is a bad elf. I is to find Widwick and get some foods for you's, Miss Anna." And with that, she Disapparated with a soft _pop_!

"Ah… more room for me," Eric said, as he moved in closer to Anna and hugged her again. He peered over her shoulder and into his father's smiling face. After the last terrifying twelve hours, the man finally looked relieved.

"Thank God," Mister Grayson said in a whisper.

"The Muggle bus!" "The Muggle bus!" "The Muggle bus!" squawked the parrot in the entryway downstairs.

"No school for you, young lady; not until the healers get a chance to check you out," her father said sternly.

"Yes, sir," Anna sobbed, smiling up at him.

A few hours later, a number of wizard healers were talking to Anna's father at the foot of her bed. They had spent the entire afternoon poking and stabbing, and waving their wands over every inch of her body, turning Anna's bedroom into a small laboratory with their many whirring instruments and gyrating gadgets. Anna was starving when Widwick arrived with a very large plate of sandwiches and some soup. Anna broke down into tears again at seeing Widwick, happy and safe, handing her a small plate of crustless triangles. It was the first time she had seen him since the terrible dream the night before, and she hugged the elf tightly, nearly knocking over the plate in his outstretched hands. When Anna was finally satisfied Widwick was undamaged, she turned her attention to the food and started stuffing as many of the small sandwiches into her mouth as she could manage.

"Vell, despite all of the tests ve could do, seeing her eat like dis is still the best sign everything is going to be fine," said one of the burly and beaded healers to her father.

Anna frowned; they were wrong; she was not fine. She wanted to tell them her awful secret. The creature everybody was searching for outside was still here, watching and waiting to come out again; waiting to attack them once more at the first opportunity while they were sleeping. She started to feel a burning flow of tears welling up in her eyes again as she reached out to grab another sandwich. She remained quiet while she ate.

"Mister Grayson, I vood' like to be here ven you talk to Anna," said the bearded healer in a heavy Eastern accent. "I vood like to hear vot she has to say of her experience las' night. Although she seems physically fine… I am vorried about her mental state. The things she's had to endure are… how you say… unimaginable, and it vood be normal for trauma of this magnitude to have lasting effects. I vood like your permission to stay long enough to hear vot she has to say." Mister Grayson agreed. He too was worried about Anna's ability to cope with what had happened to her.

After Anna finished her lunch and Gabby had left with the empty tray, Mister Grayson walked over to her bed and pushed in a chair to sit down. Eric took a seat in the corner of the room opposite. The doctors and healers packed up their equipment and exited to the hallway and down the long staircase, their many boxes and bags bumped along the railing as they pounded down the steps. The healer who had asked to stay stood leaning against the wall next to Eric with a small notebook and quill at the ready.

"Anna," Mister Grayson said, leaning forward. "Sweetheart, we need to talk about what happened last night. Do you think you're up for that?"

The time had finally come, and Anna knew what she had to do. She spent the next fifteen minutes telling them everything that had happened to her, and then she completely broke down. She told her father about her dream of Damon and Widwick, and how, when she awoke, she found herself within the cold blackness of the creature they called the Lethifold. She told them how she left her bedroom to enter Damon's room, and began to cry as she described the terrible hunger that forced her to attack her brother.

"But daddy — I swear, I didn't realize it was him. I really didn't know what I was doing," Anna said through her falling tears.

Mister Grayson placed his arms around Anna and hugged her again. He then looked over at the healer, who wordlessly motioned for him to keep talking to his daughter. "Anna, it's all right, honey — it wasn't your fault. The creature had obviously attacked you before you woke up. It had already taken you…"

"No, daddy…You don't understand… I wasn't attacked. It was me all along," Anna said, crying even louder.

"I don't know what you mean, Anna… What are you saying?" asked her father, his face a study of rare confusion.

Anna looked at her father and then to Eric sitting in the corner. "I'm saying… I am the creature. The thing didn't attack me… I turned into it. It's still here — inside me! I can feel it." Anna fell back against her pillow crying harder than ever, pulling the blanket up to cover her face. "I can still feel it… It's still here!"

Mister Grayson looked stunned. Seeing Anna's father struggling with his response, the healer walked over to Anna and lifted her wrist to take her pulse. "You say… Anna has no known magical capabilities?"

"That's right," replied Mister Grayson, solemnly.

The healer leaned over Anna, who was still sobbing into her blankets. "Anna… can I ask you a question?" Anna looked up and cautiously nodded. "Now… I am not here to say ve don't believe you, but vot you are describing is magic far beyond anything ve currently know. Ve realize the ability to transform into various animals is indeed possible. Ve call them… Animagi. But these individuals spend years in guarded training before attempting such magic, and most never truly succeed. This has alvays been considered very advanced magic, and only a tiny handful of individuals have been known to accomplish such a miraculous feat. In fact, I could give you the names of the few successful vitches and vizards who have done this on one hand, covering the last hundred years. And even if they do succeed, it is alvays the most basic of animals — adherent to their personal nature, and never a magical creature like the one you have described. For somebody such as yourself, vith no magical capabilities or training…" the healer shook his head, "vhat you think happened is impossible."

Mister Grayson looked at Anna with an expression that told her he agreed with the healer's explanation.

"So… my qvestion is," the healer continued, "have you experienced anything strange or different in your personal abilities recently?"

"Yes, I have," Anna answered, and she told them about how she had found Mrs. Drummond in the woods, and her experiences in the ocean.

"Vell… although vhat you describe is indeed strange… they do not necessarily sound magical in the traditional sense. It sounds more like the abilities of some of the magical creatures ve know. I do not know of any case describing a vitch or a vizard that can do the things you've described."

"What about the gates?" Anna said in frustration, looking at her father.

"Gates? Vhat gates?" asked the healer, looking around and somewhat confused.

Mister Grayson sighed. "Anna told me yesterday she could see the gates beyond the barrier at the end of the road. I've placed several charms on the property to keep the Muggles away. Anna should not have been able to see the gates from that distance outside the grounds.

Anna looked at Eric sitting in the corner. "Did you change any of the spells on the grounds for daddy?"

"Me? No — why would I do that?" Eric said in surprise.

Anna looked at her father, who was now frowning. "Anna I don't understand what's going on here, but we'll figure it out together — all right?" he said, trying to sound reassuring.

Anna nodded skeptically. She didn't feel a whole lot better, but just talking about her recent experiences seemed to ease some of her concerns. Maybe the healer was right. Maybe what she thought had happened was wrong. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Vell, I think it's best ve let her sleep," said the healer. "But I'd like permission to see you again tomorrow, Anna, so ve can talk about some of these other strange coincidences. Vould that be all right?" Anna nodded and the healer turned to Mister Grayson.

"I'll be checking on Damon one more time before I go, but I see no long-term effects in him resulting from this attack. In fact he's still very angry about vot's happened, and I think that's also a healthy sign. I'll be in contact vith you again tomorrow." He shook Mister Grayson's hand and headed for the door. Eric was following him.

"I'll walk you down, healer," Eric said kindly. "My father wants me to check on the ministry representatives searching the grounds anyway."

The man nodded. "It is very busy out there, is it not? I mean — a lot of people valking and poking around." He turned one last time to look back at Anna in her bed. "Yes — it vill be quite a vile, I'm afraid, until things are back to normal," he whispered solemnly, as he turned to leave.

"Are you tired?" Mister Grayson asked Anna.

She was thinking about the conversation her father had with Eric when she first woke up. "A little, but I'm okay," she replied. Then, without thinking, she asked, "Daddy, what did you mean when you told Eric you thought I had some kind of protection from this creature?"

Mister Grayson stared at Anna with a somewhat surprised expression. "Hmm — I suppose you heard everything, then?" he asked, looking disgruntled

"Yes, sir… I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it."

Her father paused, as if thinking of a way to explain something rather difficult. "What I'm about to tell you, Anna, should be kept between the two of us — all right? I don't want a lot of people prying into our family's personal affairs." Anna cautiously nodded. "I say this because…" he hesitated, and then, "this was not the first time you've been in contact with a Lethifold."

"What? Really? When? How?" Anna asked in stumbled shock.

"It was during that trip we took to Indonesia after one of the more deadly assassination attempts. I must say, at the time, it really shook me up; and to make matters worse, the attempts on my life were not happening because of something I was doing. They were trying to murder me for something they thought I was going to do. Something… I eventually succeeded in doing well."

"You mean… bringing us closer to the Muggles?" asked Anna.

"That's right. The forces of the nameless-one were really very strong in those days. Even after he disappeared they would have done anything to reduce the influence Muggles had in our world. The Muggles didn't know it, of course, but their investments in the Wizarding world were certainly opening the lines of communication unlike any time before in our history. After these assassins failed to kill me, I took the family to the Pacific Rim to think about my personal goals, and how they might affect my family. It was there, in a fairly remote area of the jungle, where you were attacked."

"Attacked? Me?"

"Well… perhaps attacked to too strong a word. It was very late in the evening, and we were all sleeping in a small bungalow when I awoke to hear you laughing somewhere outside. You were about three-years old at the time. Well… I couldn't believe it. All of the other children were sleeping, and I had already put you to bed hours before them. I ran outside and followed the sounds of your laughter into the woods." Anna was mesmerized by her father's story as he continued his amazing account.

"When I finally found you, I couldn't believe my eyes. You were standing in the middle of the forest in your pajamas, playing with something wrapped around your legs. At first, I didn't realize what it was, because it looked like you were wearing some kind of shirt you had taken from one of your sister's bags. But when the creature began to move around you, I understood what it was immediately. I remember you were laughing and dancing with this thing clinging to your legs without a care in the world. My initial reaction, of course, was to pull out my wand, but what could I do? I couldn't hex the thing while it was attached to you.

"Then I noticed the animal was acting very strange, not at all like I had read in my studies of magical creatures. It didn't seem to hurt you or go near your face; so I waited, and watched for an opportunity to draw it away from you. As the minutes passed and I continued to watch from my hiding place, I realized it looked as though it was trying to protect you, or at least remain close to you. At one point, a wild pig walked out of the woods and was curious enough to approach you. To my surprise, the Lethifold's reaction to this intruder seemed rather violent. It left you to strike at the pig, rising up between the two of you and lashing out wildly, while, at the same time, trying to hold on to one of your legs. To my astonishment, the pig wouldn't leave; it was also trying to get close to you, even though its life was clearly in danger. Eventually, the Lethifold released you to attack the animal, and you hid behind a tree during the fight. It was then I saw my chance and grabbed you."

Mister Grayson seemed to finish, and Anna was surprised when he continued. "Then, the most amazing thing happened," he said, looking back up at her again. "As I was running back along the path to the house, we saw the creature again. It was ahead of us, crossing the path as if to cut off our escape. At first, I thought the thing had somehow moved around to block our way, and I recall thinking the creature was a lot faster than it looked. I stopped, and with you still in my arms, I slowly started to retreat. Then I heard you laughing and pointing at something in the path behind us. I spun around, and there, coming out of the woods, was a second Lethifold. I think it must have been the original creature you had been playing with earlier. I have to say, for such a rare creature, we certainly did draw a crowd that night. The two of them never touched us, but continually circled us on the path."

Mister Grayson seemed to break from his story long enough to give Anna a slight smile. "You, of course, thought all of this was quite marvelous, but after a time you started to get tired, and yelled at them to 'go home!'"

Anna smiled a little as she continued to listen — not wanting to miss a word.

"To my surprise… the creatures stopped moving. They just… hovered there in front of us. I tried to step around them, but they always moved to block my way. They seemed to be listening to you, but they weren't too keen on letting me take you away. On a hunch, I whispered in your ear and asked you to tell them to leave us alone. You pointed down at them… and shouted — 'GO AWAY!'" Anna was somewhat surprised by her own courage at the time. Her father leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"And, believe it or not, that's exactly what they did. The two of them started heading off in different directions back into the woods. I think it delighted you to see their eagerness to obey, because they left you clapping after them. For my part, I counted my blessings and dashed the rest of the way back to our camp. I put you to bed and stood careful guard until the next morning, and then we packed up and left for home."

Her father ended his story, but then he looked up at Anna again. "You know… it's one thing to see a rare creature like this once in a lifetime, but now we've seen three of them and you've come into direct contact with two. Anna, I've had too much experience in my life to believe in this many coincidences. I am convinced that whatever saved you from these creatures the first time is what saved you again last night." But then, looking as if he had caught himself saying something embarrassing, he stopped as if to apologize. "That is, assuming of course, you were wrong about somehow transforming yourself into this creature."

"You don't believe me… do you, daddy?" she asked in a disappointed tone.

He leaned forward toward her. "It doesn't matter what I believe, Anna. What matters is finding the truth." He recognized his effort to make Anna feel better had failed so he stood and sat next to his daughter on the bed. "I believe you, honey. I believe you think your experience was real, and that's why we need to bring the healer back tomorrow. We'll get to the bottom of this — I swear we will. I'm going to stay here with you throughout the evening and tonight. I'll be here watching over you while you sleep." Then he smiled and reached up to gently smooth Anna's hair. "And if in your dreams the creature does come back… just tell him to 'go away!' They always seem to listen to you for some reason."

Anna smiled and hugged her father, and in her ear she heard him whisper, "There has always been something special about you, Anna, when it comes to the creatures and animals around us. It doesn't matter where this creature came from, whether it came from outside or within, I should have known it would never have hurt you. It's what makes you special; it's your gift; it's probably not the kind of magic you were looking for, but in a lot of ways, it's much more important. Cherish what you've been given, sweetheart. It's what makes you unique and one of the many reasons I love you so much."

Anna began to sob, still holding her father close in her arms. Their closeness, however, was broken by a yell from downstairs. Loud thumping sounds could be heard thundering up the steps in the hallway. There was a quick knock at the door and then it opened suddenly. It was Eric. He was panting, flush from exertion, and there was a sharp expression of surprised shock resident on his face.

Mister Grayson quickly stood. "What is it? What's happened?"

Eric tried to catch his breath. "It's all right… something… just came in… from… the owlry," he said, panting heavily.

"Well what is it? Speak up, boy. What's happened?" Anna was lying in her bed again, the blankets clinched up over her nose as she peered out. She didn't want to imagine what could happen next.

"It's… a letter! A letter addressed to Anna," Eric said, now straightening to take a deep breath as he handed an envelope to their father.

Mister Grayson took the envelope and looked at the person to whom it was addressed.

_Miss Anna Grayson of the Grayson Estate, _

_California._

Anna quickly sat upright. Who would be writing to her now? _And why was Eric so excited?_

Eric looked at his sister and beamed. "Anna — it's a letter from Castlewood!"

Anna frowned and looked at her father. "Why would Castlewood be writing to me, daddy?" she said in astonishment.

"I… I don't know," said Mister Grayson in a confused tone as he tore open the flap and pulled out the piece of parchment from within. Mister Grayson read through the note and, scratching his head, he slowly reached back to sit down in his chair again. Anna could tell he was re-reading the letter a second time, a look of disbelief beginning to appear on his face.

"What is it, father?" asked Anna and Eric together.

"It's… an invitation; an invitation to Anna… to come to Castlewood Academy for the Magical Arts."

89


	10. A Wand in Hand

Chapter 10d15— A Wand in Hand

Chapter 10

A Wand in Hand

ONE

"I knew it! I knew it! I could tell by the look of it. That's the only thing it could have been," Eric yelled excitedly. Mister Grayson was still in his chair, staring at the letter with a look of unabashed disbelief. Anna was still sitting in her bed looking just as confused as when Eric first ran into her bedroom. Eric stopped dancing at the foot of Anna's bed and frowned. "Well… isn't anybody going to say anything? Anna… do you know what this means?"

"No… I don't," she replied, sounding slightly afraid. "What does it mean, daddy?"

"It means…" Eric went on, walking up to her bedside, "you're going with us to Castlewood, of course!"

Anna's face distorted into a surprised frown, "But… how can that be? I'm no… I'm not even… you know… I'm not a witch."

"Well, they must obviously think you are or they wouldn't have sent that!" Eric replied, pointing at the letter in their father's hand.

Mister Grayson was re-reading the letter for the fourth time, still surprised by this unexpected turn. _Why would Castlewood send an invitation to Anna?_ _And why would they send it now, right in the middle of all of these questions about her abilities?_ Mister Grayson's own words, said just a few moments ago, suddenly returned to him, _I've had too much experience in my life to believe in this many coincidences._

He also remembered the passing weeks leading up to the children's departure to Castlewood one year ago before Anna's twelfth birthday. Although nobody had expected Anna to receive her invitation at the time, there was the lingering hope she might have the tiniest hidden, yet unseen, spark of magic the school might recognize. Her letter never came, of course, and Mister Grayson would never forget the look on Anna's face as they sent the other Grayson children off to Castlewood that fall, leaving his youngest daughter behind to start her first year in a Muggle school. Locking herself in her bedroom for the next three days, it was only then that her father realized Anna was still carrying the hope she might be able to study the magical arts, as the rest of the Graysons had done for the last eight hundred years. Anna was devastated, and her unexpected reaction and disappointment at being left behind still haunted Mister Grayson in ways only a father who truly loved his children would understand. He wasn't going to allow that to happen again.

Without telling her, Mister Grayson privately swore to bring all the resources under his power to help his youngest daughter, and make up for this terrible setback in her life. Although Anna didn't realize what her father was doing on her behalf, Mister Grayson was working quietly in the background to insure her future happiness. As time passed, he watched Anna closely, and was very proud of his daughter's ability to accept her destiny as a future Muggle. She had come a long way since that day one year ago, and he wasn't going to allow anything to hurt his daughter like that again.

"Anna… there's so much to do. We have to get you ready," Eric went on excitedly. "I wish I had known about this last night… I would have bought your school supplies. You'll need your books, some scales, and you'll need a new set of robes." Eric was almost talking to himself as he circled the foot of Anna's bed, counting on his fingers. "Oh…and you'll need… a wand!" he finished, looking up with a smile.

"A wand? Me?" Anna blurted out, her tone betraying her guarded excitement.

"Of course, lamebrain; you'll need a proper wand — won't you? Every witch has to have a fitting wand," her brother replied, a huge grin blooming ever larger on his face.

"Me? A witch? Really?" Anna yelled, rising on the bed to her knees.

That was it. Mister Grayson had heard enough. "STOP IT!" he yelled out from his chair. Eric and Anna looked at their father. Eric was surprised at the angry expression of doubt on the man's face.

"But… father — don't you see? Don't you realize…?" Eric started to say, but his father stopped him short.

"I realize you're putting a lot of silly thoughts into your sister's head. We have no idea how or why this letter was sent," he said in a very stern tone, smacking the letter with the backside of his hand as he spoke.

"Isn't it obvious?" argued Eric. "The school must have realized they made a mistake last year, and they're looking to correct it."

"You don't know that. A mistake like that could just as well have happened when they sent this letter today. Need I remind you, Anna has never shown any magical ability," said Mister Grayson, getting angrier by the second.

"Well… yes, I agree — Anna has never shown any sign of being a witch, that is, until yesterday — and look at what happened!" Eric replied, gesturing toward the letter again.

"I won't have you building her up like this!" Mister Grayson yelled, now standing to face Eric in the center of the room. He then turned to Anna. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but the last thing I want to do is to cause you more pain right now. I think your brother is a little over enthusiastic without knowing all the facts." Then he turned to Eric again. "We won't speak of this again until I've had a chance to talk to the Chancellor of Castlewood."

"But… father — I don't understand why you have to…"

"Enough!" bellowed Mister Grayson. "I want you out of here, right now, and I don't want you speaking to your sister unless I'm present in the room. Do you understand?"

Eric was too shocked to immediately respond.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir… I… I understand. As you wish," Eric said in an injured tone. He looked back at Anna, smiled slightly, and then left the room.

Mister Grayson turned and, looking down at the letter, he began to mutter himself. "School supplies… a wand… of all the stupid…" He sat down in his chair with a huff. He folded the letter and placed it in the pocket of his robes and then leaned back in his chair to look at Anna. She was still kneeling on her bed with a look of mixed disappointment and confusion. Mister Grayson could see what she was thinking.

"I won't have him pumping you up like that; I won't see you hurt all over again," he said, trying to explain his actions.

"So… you think the letter is just a mistake?" asked Anna, softly.

Mister Grayson sighed. "At this very moment, Anna — I don't know what to believe. I'll get to the bottom of this in the morning. Try and get some sleep. If you need anything, I'll be right here next to you."

Anna knew better than to argue with her father. She lay back down, pulled the covers over her knees, and slid into the warm blankets. Her father used his wand to slowly turn down the light by her bedside, but Anna knew it would be several hours before she fell asleep.

TWO

The morning air was whipping through Anna's hair. The horse she was riding was her favorite. It was the chestnut stallion named Apollo she had helped to raise and care for since he was a colt. Although Anna had tried to escape the house to be alone and to think, it was no use. Every five minutes she would ride upon another Ministry wizard searching the grounds, looking for the Lethifold.

"Hello, Miss Anna… how are you feeling today?" they would ask; the same curious questions time and again.

"Fine… I'm feeling much better, thanks," she replied with a struggled but friendly nod.

She was lying, of course; she wasn't fine at all. The last two days had turned her whole world upside down. These new and strange abilities she had found within herself seemed to be explained by the letter from Castlewood, but something the healer had said kept coming back into her mind: _It sounds more like the abilities of some of the magical creatures we know. I do not know of any case describing a witch or a wizard that can do the things you've described._ What if he was wrong? How could she possibly go to Castlewood, knowing she was some kind of freak?

She thought about Eric and how excited he was when he saw the letter. For a moment, Anna had allowed herself to believe what Eric was saying might be possible. To go to Castlewood and study magic had always been her dream. She would have done anything to be given the chance to go with Eric, to go to Castlewood Academy; and now… _was it possible?_ Was this her chance to finally fulfill her dreams? Suddenly, a real sense of fear moved in to engulf her once again, and Anna immediately knew why. She had become a monster, a killer. Something inside her was trying to get out, to take over her body again like it did when it attacked Damon. She could still feel it lying in wait, deep inside her chest. Its cold presence stirred at the very thought of it.

"Hello, Miss Anna. It's good to see you outside," said another wizard, looking in the hollow of a tree with the light of his wand.

"Hello," she replied as she galloped by him. Anna turned sharply to the left and, ducking under the branch of a tree, she climbed up a steep slope to another opening in the cliff overlooking the beautiful ocean below. She threw a leg over her saddle and slid down to the moss-covered ground. There, in the clearing, stood the burnt remnants of another vast estate.

At least as big as the Grayson Manor, this place must have been the beautiful home to another prestigious family, who had long since abandoned the cliffs the Graysons now owned. Many stone chimneys stood like sentinels amongst the tall trees surrounding them. Although the only thing remaining of the vast structure was a cracked foundation and charred beams standing at odd angles where they had fallen during the fire, Anna truly loved this place. She seemed strangely drawn to it during her most difficult times, like a lost lamb seeking its mother. Anna didn't understand why, but the fallen structure seemed to deliver a sense of peace and solace to her. She sat against one of the trees, looking up into the vast canopy of branches and leaves above her. She always came here when she needed to think, or when seeking the understanding of something most difficult in her life. Now was one of those times. For there was something else that was bothering Anna and it weighed on her conscious like a load of heavy stones. There was something she hadn't told her father; something even she, up to now, hadn't dared to admit to herself.

Although what had happened that night in Damon's room scared her, the creature she had become allowed her to feel something she had never felt before in her entire life: power. True, it was very frightening to know there was something happening to her that she couldn't control, but she had to admit, at some primal level, she liked how it made her feel. She liked believing she had an ability nobody else possessed. _But what was the price of this newfound power? What was going to happen to her?_ What if she was right and she did change into that monster? How could she keep it contained? What was the purpose of having such abilities if she couldn't control it? And if she was wrong, and she was attacked like everybody believed, then what was wrong with her mind to think she was doing these things herself? She finally asked herself the question she had been avoiding more than any other. _Who was it that attacked Damon the other night?_ _Was it the monster everybody saw in his bedroom, or was it me, looking to punish Damon for all his past sins of cruelty?_

The birds were singing brightly in the morning breeze, and Anna closed her eyes to smell the fresh damp earth all around her. A slight smell of smoke still lingered in the air from the rubble of the collapsed structure within the landscape. As a child, she would fantasize about building a magnificent house on this very spot. Right next to her father's ancestral home, overlooking the ocean below, she knew she could be happy here no matter what challenges life brought her way. She stood, dusted off her pants, called Apollo to her side, and lifted herself into his saddle again. Anna turned to head back down the hill, but stopped to glance back once more. Someday, she thought, maybe this would be her home.

When Anna entered the main road again, she turned and clopped down its gentle slope. As the iron gates came into view, she sped to a trot, as they swung open before her. She nudged Apollo in the sides with her heels. "Let's go!" she said, leaning forward in anticipation of his sudden burst of speed. She flew by the gates and onto the grounds outside without a sideward glance.

After riding another hundred yards, she stopped and yanked the reins around to watch the gates closing behind her. No barrier, no fallen trees, no Muggle protection charms, nothing but what was truly there, the gates to her family home. She slowly clopped back up, until she could see the ordainments on the gates; they were still galloping. Anna smiled. The gates opened again like a pair of welcoming arms as she approached, and for the first time in her life, Anna felt as though she truly belonged as she passed over the line. As the gates rattled shut behind her again, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her saddle to breathe the cold morning breeze. There was something in the air, a strange smell, like the scent of somebody walking in the woods somewhere to her left. Anna stopped, dismounted, and dropped the reins.

"Go on ahead — I'll catch up to you in a minute," she said, giving Apollo a gentle pat on the rump. The horse stepped casually forward up the hill, stopping every few steps to nibble on the clumps of grass to the side of the path. Anna stepped into the woods, cautiously looked around, and then sat down against the trunk of an old tree. She closed her eyes and, in her mind, tried to reach out into the spaces around her. To her astonishment, it worked. The ground started passing under her, now racing by her low gaze among the bushes and trees. She began looking for the source of the scent she had detected while riding, and quickly found a Ministry wizard a few hundred yards away to the east. He was muttering to himself about wasting his time, looking for a creature that was obviously already dead. Anna circled the man unnoticed several times before continuing again up the hill toward the estate. She swiftly located at least twenty other wizards in various locations on the grounds and, after a time, she finally saw the estate coming into her view. The sight was incredible. The house was nearly three quarters of a mile away, but she could see it just as clearly as if she were standing on the gravel road in front.

She quickly scanned the house, looking for a way to enter. All the windows and doors were closed, but that wouldn't keep her out. She found an opening in the base of the foundation and effortlessly slipped through one of the small cracks. Immediately her view went black, the connection was lost, and Anna was forced to open her eyes once again.

"Hmm… it only seems to work when I'm outside, which explains why I couldn't do it when I was in my bedroom the other night," she said to herself. Still, this newborn ability made her smile broadly. _Magic or not, this was pretty cool. _"I wonder where Apollo is?" she said, looking around her tree. She closed her eyes again and reached out. Her mind raced up the path, honing in on the animal's smell. Anna's senses were incredibly sharp, and she found the horse without a second thought.

"There you are," she called, without thinking. Apollo jerked up with a start and looked around. Anna was startled too. She could see the horse looking back at her, seemingly aware of something of herself coming up the path.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. The horse took a step forward toward her and then stopped, his ears alert and pointed forward. "Can you see me?" she said, her mind's eye moving to her left, as if to test the animal's responsiveness. She could see the horse's eyes tracking her movement left and then right as she examined his ability to follow her. _This was strange_. Apollo could see and hear whatever there was of her current form, but none of the Ministry wizards she had found in the woods had noticed her presence at all. Remembering her earlier encounter with the small chipmunk she had chased into the woods, it suddenly dawned on Anna that it was only the animals with which she shared this strange connection.

"Come to me," she called to the horse, which then followed Anna's thoughts back to where she was waiting beneath the tree. She opened her eyes again and saw the horse walking toward her up the path. Anna stood, "Good boy, Apollo," she cooed, patting him on the nose. She produced a cube of sugar from out of her pocket before lifting herself into his saddle and trotting off into the woods again.

THREE

Mister Grayson was back in his office working at his desk. He was mindlessly rereading a piece of old parchment text while waiting for the call he expected at any moment. Several scrolls were unrolled in front of him, and he was inspecting the writing on one of them with a large magnifying glass. He then reached over to compare what he read to the scroll next to it. He was interrupted by the sound of a soft whistle coming from a stone bowl sitting on the corner of his desk. A blue streak of light shot up from the bottom of the bowl, which instantly ignited into a blaze of blue flame. Within the flames sat the face of a very old wizard staring into the room.

"Hello, Boris… it's nice to see you again. I hope the Ministry isn't working you too hard," said the talking head over the bowl.

"Hello, Chancellor Thordarson. Thank you for taking the time to speak to me on such short notice…I hope I'm not taking you away from anything important?" said Mister Grayson. There was a high level of respect resident in his voice.

Professor Elimar Thordarson was Chancellor of Castlewood Academy, and a highly respected and powerful wizard. He was wearing dark robes and a wizard's hat, which draped over his right ear to his shoulder like a sleeping cap. The hat sat atop a shockingly white head of hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. The only thing whiter than the man's hair was the wizard's face, which was so colorless of natural tone it almost glowed within the blue flames over the bowl. He wore very dark blue sunglasses in square frames just barely big enough to cover his eyes, which made him look like a bandit. He spoke in a soft, warm timbre. "Not at all Boris — anything for one of Castlewood's best and brightest students," he said through his broadening smile. "I received your owl just a few moments ago. Your message sounded urgent… so… here I am, of course."

"Thank you, Chancellor — it is rather important. It's about my daughter, Anna."

"Ah, yes; a wonderful child — spunky and full of life… you are a blessed man, Boris. I remember her well. I also remember my very sore knees after my last visit a few years ago; too much bouncing for an old man, I'm afraid. So… tell me… does she still carry that flaming red hair?" asked the wizard, leaning inquisitively into the room from amidst his guttering flame.

Mister Grayson smiled, "Yes, sir — and the temperament to go with it, I'm afraid," he replied, guardedly.

"Ah… you would say, 'like her mother', but more like her father, say I," the Chancellor beamed.

"Yes — well… I'm afraid it's been a bit longer than a few of years since you last saw her. She's twelve-years old now," Mister Grayson replied, still smiling.

"Really? That long since I've seen her last? Oh my… Boris where has the time gone? So… what is that spirited redhead up to these days?" asked the Chancellor.

"She received a letter of invitation from Castlewood Academy last night," said Mister Grayson, and for the first time he could see the Chancellor's smile beginning to fail.

"Really? A letter of invitation… from us? Are you sure?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yes, sir. It was the standard parchment, with the Castlewood seal, addressed to her personally, and sent directly here to the house by owl."

"Curious… very curious," said Thordarson, and Mister Grayson could see the wizard's head turn away as if reaching for something behind him. He turned back and began writing with a large white quill. "And you say… Anna is now twelve-years of age?" he asked, sounding somewhat skeptical.

"Yes, that's right; she'll be thirteen in November. I thought you should know and could, perhaps, check into how such a mistake might have happened," said Mister Grayson, looking for a reaction more than a response.

"Mistake? Well — if we've made one… it would be the first of its kind since the school opened. Isn't it true Anna was born a…"

"A squib… yes, sir… That is correct," said Mister Grayson reluctantly.

The Chancellor noticed Mister Grayson's hesitancy at once. "Boris, there is no shame in this… surely you must know that by now."

"Of course I know that… I love Anna no less than the rest of my children. It's just that," he halted, and then, "we just… can't seem to leave this behind and move on."

"I see. And… what does Anna think about this unexpected turn?"

"Well — she's confused, of course. I mean — we're all a little puzzled."

"Yes, of course — quite natural," said the wizard sympathetically. "If I may make a suggestion; allow me to send to you our school's resident doctor. With your permission — we can have Doctor Pearl test the child, and so help us get to the bottom of this mystery," he finished, and then nodded to somebody standing to his left.

"Thank you, sir — that will be fine. A family healer will be here as well — so they can work together on this," said Mister Grayson.

"Very good, then; I'll make the necessary arrangements from this end and we'll talk again afterwards."

Mister Grayson leaned back in his chair slightly relieved, staring off into the room beyond the blue flames. The Chancellor leaned forward again.

"When was the last time you slept, Boris?" asked the wise old wizard from over his bowl. His eyes were probing his favored student with a high level of concern evident even through his dark glasses. "Your last visit with us, I know, was… rather difficult for you."

"Oh, I'm all right, sir — it's just been a very long couple of days."

"Yes — so I've heard. You have always been a strong man, Boris. Hard working — dedicated to the Ministry and your role in both the Wizarding and Muggle world. But what has always impressed me the most about you is your equal dedication to your family. You've never let your ambitions overtake your love for your children or the memory of their mother," Thordarson said reassuringly.

"I hope not… I only want what's best for them."

"You have always made your objectives clear on their behalf. They are all gifted children, doing well here at school, and Eric has even surpassed his father with his academic prowess. You have much to be proud of in them."

"As long as I can keep them from getting suspended, you mean." Mister Grayson said with a wince, a clear reference to the antics of his twin daughters the year before.

The old wizard chuckled brightly. "Yes, the girls are a lively pair — to be sure, but the school would be so much less without them among us."

"You're being too kind, sir," Grayson replied in a grumble, looking shyly down into his lap.

"Perhaps — but if I may, I've always prided myself in my ability to recognize the hidden talents within our students. Given time, I'm sure Dowla and Tencha will find in themselves what I already see: The drive and ambition to prove themselves… and to make their father proud."

Mister Grayson smiled. "You've always had a talent for saying just the right thing, Chancellor."

"Oh… well… that's probably why they've given me the funny hat," said the old wizard with a twinkle in his eye. "Take care, Boris, and please, for the children's sake, try and get some sleep." And with that, the wizard's image disappeared with a soft _pop_.

Mister Grayson leaned back in his chair, thinking about what the Chancellor had said; _We'll get to the bottom of this mystery._ "I hope you're right, old friend… I hope you're right."

FOUR

Anna finished her ride and was walking Apollo back to the stable. A bent old man limped out of a stall in a rubber apron and very dirty boots, carrying a shovel.

"Hello, Miss Anna — out for a morning ride, I see. Feeling better, I hope?" said the man.

"Good morning, Sam — I'm feeling much better, thanks," said Anna. "How's Mrs. Porchdow today?"

Samuel Porchdow was the Grayson stable master, and one of Anna's closest friends. He and his wife lived on the Grayson estate in a little cottage on the other side of the hill. It always struck Anna as odd that Sam spent his whole life taking care of the Grayson horses and assisting his wife with the work on the grounds whenever his arthritic knees would allow it. This was because, as wizards go, Sam was very talented, which more than made up for any physical weaknesses he often had to carry. Mrs. Porchdow was the estate grounds keeper, which was an immense job as well. All of their nine children were grown and living separate lives in different parts of the Wizarding world.

"Fit as a fiddle," smiled Sam, speaking of his wife. "She'll be happy to hear you're up and about again, Miss Anna. We were both very worried when we heard you were… well… not feeling well. The Miss's almost wand-cocked one of those pesky Ministry wizards just this morning though; caught him sticking his big-fat nose into our bathroom window. The boils on the poor fellow's face will take a while to heal, I'm afraid," Sam chuckled. "That woman of mine can be a bit feisty at times."

Anna laughed at the thought of Mrs. Porchdow attacking a Ministry official through her bathroom window.

"Well, hopefully, they'll be gone soon enough," Anna replied with a sigh.

"I'm so glad to see him getting a run," Sam said, looking at Anna's horse. "Only you and Eric ride anymore. Of course, your father is a fine horseman as well, but the Ministry keeps him from enjoying the simple things in life — like a quiet ride on a fine horse," he said lovingly, patting Apollo on the neck. He turned to face Anna again. "But not even your father can hold a candle to you on this animal," the stable master said with a grin. "Pure natural talent; I was just telling the missus the other day: You've got what it takes to be the best, Anna; talent, ability, and a connection to the animal; that's the important thing. The two of you ride as one; you can't teach that kind of skill."

Anna blushed. "Why… thank you, Sam. What a very nice thing to say."

"I wouldn't say it if it weren't true. Now — if you'll hold Apollo back a few more minutes, I was just getting ready to clean his floor," the man said, unlocking the gate to Apollo's stall. There was a sign over the opening with Apollo's name emblazed in gold.

"That's all right, Sam — I can do that," Anna said, hopping down to tie Apollo's reins to the post.

"Are you sure, Anna? I mean you've been ill; you shouldn't be inside a dirty stall shoveling…"

"No… really, it's all right. I really don't want to go back to the house yet anyway; too many strangers gawking about, if you know what I mean."

"Well… All right then, but give me a yell if you tire. And if those pesky Ministry types come around jawing at you…"

"I'll call Mrs. Porchdow, pronto!" Anna finished with an evil smile.

Sam laughed. "Yes ma'am — you do that, and she'll have them running for cover faster than you can say 'blistered backside."

Anna giggled as Sam retreated with a wave of his wand. The saddle on Apollo's back unbuckled itself, rose into the air, and sat itself on a cleaning bench next to the stall door.

"Don't forget to brush him down good, now," he said, handing his shovel to Anna with a pair of gloves.

"Okay… Thank you, Sam." Anna took the shovel and stepped into the stall.

An hour later, Anna entered the house to find two people standing in the entryway talking to her father. One of them was the bearded healer from the day before. Anna groaned under her breath as the man turned to greet her.

"Hello, Anna," said the healer. "Ve ver not properly introduced yesterday. My name is Healer Nosova." He shook Anna's hand, which was still covered in mud and mess from her work in the stalls. She didn't bother keeping the mess to herself.

Anna's father stepped forward as Nosova began wiping his dirty hands on a handkerchief from his pocket. "Anna — I'd like you to meet Doctor Margaret Pearl from Castlewood Academy."

"Castlewood? Really?" Anna said, excitedly.

"That's right, dearie," answered Doctor Pearl, "Castlewood Academy for the Study of Magical Arts. I hear you've been riding outside and about the countryside this morning. Good! Fresh air and a strong horse — an excellent remedy for most wizarding ills," she announced, in a strong forthright voice.

Doctor Pearl was a very short and rather stocky woman, who, Anna thought, was built more like a cube. She was dressed in black robes and wore a stout cap on her tightly cropped black hair. She was also wearing very large and thick glasses, which magnified her blue eyes to the size of silver dollars. Anna liked her right away.

"So — what's this I hear that you received a letter from our school?" asked Pearl abruptly. "May I see it, please?"

Mister Grayson reached into his robes and pulled out the parchment; he handed it to the doctor. She looked down at the letter, bringing it as close to her nose as possible. Then she raised and lowered her glasses to inspect every part of the paper.

"Hmmm… yes… I see… ahhh… uh-huh…. yes…" she muttered, looking the parchment over. The gruff looking healer standing next to her seemed to be watching Doctor Pearl rather cautiously as she continued to inspect every inch of the letter. A frightening thought came into Anna's head. _It couldn't be a forgery, could it?_ She held her breath nervously thinking about the many pranks Tencha and Dowla had done in the past.

"YEP!" Doctor Pearl yelped without warning. "Definitely one of ours," she said, slamming the parchment into the other healer's vested chest.

The misty-silver swirls of Cookie the ghost began to appear above the black marble of the newel post behind the healers. He seemed to be eyeing the visitors standing in his entryway suspiciously.

"Anna, Doctor Pearl and I vood like to run a series of tests on you today, if you vouldn't mind," said healer called Nosova. Cookie curled his lip and frowned distrustfully at the man.

"Tests? What kind of tests?" replied Anna, trying not to laugh as Cookie stuck his tongue out at the healer behind his back, and then began to change his misty form into that of a horse's rear end.

"Vell… ve are sometimes asked to run a series of tests to ascertain if an individual, such as yourself, might have any lingering… or residual…"

Cookie was mimicking a large yawn behind the healer's back, and then lulled his head mockingly over to the side as if to fall asleep of boredom.

Nosova continued, "Interacting properties that might explain some of the on going…"

Doctor Pearl abruptly cut him off, "He means we want to test you for magic!" she quipped harshly.

Cookie snapped straight.

"Magic? Me?" Anna replied in surprise.

"Yes, dearie. Now it won't hurt a bit, but it will take some time. I have to explain why you incorrectly received this letter from our school, and the easiest way to do that is to first confirm it was a mistake from the start. We do that by checking you out from head to toe to see if your personal abilities have changed," explained Doctor Pearl, in a fact-filled tone of voice. Cookie was nodding his head approvingly behind Doctor Pearl, giving Anna two misty thumbs up.

"Oh… all right, well, I'm ready then… what should I do?" asked Anna.

"They're going to set up in my Ministry office downstairs while you go and get yourself cleaned up," said Mister Grayson, pointing her with a frown toward the steps. "We'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

With a quick nod, Anna dashed up the staircase and into the shower. This was it; the time had finally come. She was going to get the answers she had been searching for all her life. What if they told her she didn't have any magical abilities? If that were the case, then what would explain the strange things that had been happening to her? She was nervous and anxious, and the more Anna thought about it, the more frightened she became. She took a deep breath, and let the shower's warm water pound at the back of her bent neck; she groaned. What was she thinking about? It wasn't going to happen; she wasn't going to Castlewood; it was impossible. She tried to calm herself. They wouldn't find anything magical about her, _and that wouldn't be so bad, would it? _She liked the Muggle school she was attending, and she could stay home with her father during the year. She would be nearer to Gabby, Mrs. McConnell, Widwick, Cookie and Apollo. She would have the beach and the grounds all to herself; what could be better? She wouldn't have any complaints. _Life would be grand._

_Still… to go to Castlewood…_"No… I can't think about that… I have to keep my expectations low." She finished cleaning up and headed downstairs to her father's office.

When Anna entered the room, the entire family was waiting there for her. To her surprise, her father's office had been transformed, resembling something more like a museum than a place of business. There were many spinning and whirling objects that clicked and buzzed dramatically, and little colored puffs of smoke snorted and coughed from under an examination table. There was a wooden chair that had what looked like dragon wings sticking out of its back. Several Ministry goblins that worked for her father were moving boxes and equipment into place under the direction of the two healers. Finally, they looked like they were ready to begin.

"Everybody out!" barked Doctor Pearl. "These are very sensitive tests, and we will need absolute control of the room's environment if we're to get accurate results. You will all have to leave now."

"Ohhh… but I was hoping we could stay and watch…" Dowla started to argue.

"OUT!" Doctor Pearl howled, pointing at the door behind them.

Without saying another word, Damon and Dowla left the room. Tencha walked by Anna and whispered, "Good luck, kiddo. Don't let the old spider scare you too much; she hasn't eaten anybody at Castlewood in a very long time," she said, raising her eyebrows in a worried, yet practiced, grin.

Eric walked up and gave Anna a hug. "I'll be pulling for you, sis," he said, grinning. Then, quickly glancing back at his father, he leaned in to whisper, "I've set up an appointment with Mrs. Porchdow tomorrow morning… she says she wants to fit you for your new school robes."

Anna, trying not to smile, whispered back, "You're not making this any easier, you know."

Eric smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm certain things will come out just the way you hope." He hugged her again before being tapped on the shoulder by their father. Mister Grayson pointed to the door with a frown and Eric turned to leave. Mister Grayson stepped up to Anna and smiled watchfully.

"Your brother is still confident, I see," he said, motioning with a nod toward Eric as he walked out of the room.

"It's okay, daddy… I'm ready for the answer, either way. No matter which way this thing goes… I'll be all right."

Anna saw Mister Grayson's eyes brighten. "You're very brave to go through this again, you know. I'm very proud of you. No matter how this turns out, I couldn't possibly love you more than I do right now."

"It is time," said healer Nosova. "Ve need to begin. Some of our tests vill need to be taken… at very precise moments of the day."

Mister Grayson turned to look at Anna again. "Either way — magic or not — you're still my daughter." Her father grasped her shoulders and pushed them back straight. "You're a Grayson… strong of heart… with a long and proud heritage. Your family will be waiting for you upstairs. Come to us when you're done." Mister Grayson hugged his daughter one last time before escorting the goblins and Widwick out the door. Only Gabby remained.

"They is going to check your magicalness?" the elf asked, through a face mixed with worry and doubt.

"That's right, Gabby."

"But you's have all you's need to be happy, Miss Anna." The elf's large oval eyes were bright and caring. "You's have love… and that is the bestest magic of all."

Anna hugged her friend. "Thank you, Gabs… I'll see you later." The elf finally left, leaving Anna alone with the healers.

FIVE

Three hours later, the Graysons were still waiting in the family room. The worried tension in the air was nearly suffocating. Many of the images in the portraits had fallen asleep, some of them snoring over the crackling fire above the hearth.

"What could they possibly be doing down there with her?" barked Tencha, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Daddy, maybe you should go down and check to see if…"

"Patience…" replied their father.

"But how long should these tests take? They've been down there for hours," said Dowla, who was glad somebody had finally broken the dull and painful wait.

"Maybe it's taking so long because it's hard to find something that isn't there," said Damon with a rude sneer.

"Oh, you'd love that…wouldn't you, Damon," said Eric angrily. "Ever since Anna was a child you've bullied her, and made fun of her, made her feel like an outsider within the walls of her own home. What are you going to say when it turns out she's a witch after all?"

"You're all kidding yourselves. Anna's no witch — she never has been. The fact is… I'm one of the few people in this house who's accepted her for what she really is. She's a Muggle — and that's all she'll ever be."

"You might have told yourself she was a Muggle — but you've never accepted it. You've never accepted her," Eric retorted. "And you two have been just as bad," he said, pointing at the twins.

"Us? What do you mean?" Dowla shot back.

"Making her the butt of every joke… Continuously torturing her at every turn — that's all," Eric said heatedly.

"Oh… we were just having a little fun. We never hurt her," Tencha snapped back.

"It would have been better if you had just cut her heart out. Can't you see what your _fun_ has done to her, you little witch!" Eric yelled.

"And proud of it!" Dowla shouted back.

"Well, even if these tests turn out negative, there're going to be some changes around here. The three of you had better lay off… or you'll be dealing with me!"

"IF?" Damon fired back. "_IF_ these tests are negative? Is that the shallow extent of your confidence, dear brother?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Knock it off — all of you," interrupted Mister Grayson. He turned to face the children. "Anna is… and will always be… a Grayson. She's my daughter and your sister. Some of you need to remember that fact," he said, pointing at the twins. "Some of you need to honor that fact," he said, scowling at  
Damon.

"Here — here," Eric said in satisfied agreement.

Mister Grayson snapped around to face his eldest son. "And some of you need to accept things as they really are, and stop trying to turn everybody into what you think they should be."

Eric looked surprised and hurt by his father's reproving comment. "I have always accepted Anna for what she is," Eric said carefully.

"Yes, Eric, there's no doubt you love your sister — but you have a way of overcompensating everything you do with Anna, because of what you perceive as her limitations."

"What? That's not true," Eric replied.

"Isn't it? When was the last time you had a serious, helpful, and encouraging conversation with Tencha or Dowla? When have you ever offered any help to your brother?" Mister Grayson fumed.

Eric glanced over at the other children. "They don't need my help," he said, resentfully.

"Oh, really? And why is that? Is it because they have magical abilities? Can't you see that you treat Anna differently because you really believe she's limited in some way?"

"I never… I mean, I in no way intended to do anything more than to help Anna," Eric said mournfully, turning to walk away.

Mister Grayson hotly pursued Eric with a look of rage building on his face. He grabbed Eric by the shoulder and spun him around to face him. "She doesn't need your help — she can do things well enough on her own… can you respect that?" he yelled.

"But I…. of course… I can," Eric replied, meekly.

"Then do it! Anna is strong. She doesn't need her big brother's protection. Trust me… Anna can take care of herself."

Damon seemed to be enjoying his father's verbal lashing of their brother. "It's about time somebody knocked him off of his high horse," he whispered, turning to smile back at the twins.

Mister Grayson whipped around to face Damon. "And you!" he shouted angrily. Damon fell back as if pushed off balance by his father's words. "You had better get one thing straight. Anna is… and always will be… a Grayson. She is a member of this family. Not a half-member, not a pet, and not something we've asked you to hide from the rest of the Wizarding world. Your lack of respect of a fellow Grayson is revolting to me," he bellowed, steadily backing Damon into the wall. "Where is your honor, boy? Where is your family pride? Why is your dignity hiding? Your sister will not be shut away just so you can feel comfortable with the world around us — get that out of your head right now!"

Finally, there was silence. For a long while, nobody said a word. After what seemed like an eternity of deafness, Dowla carefully spoke. "I think we're all just a little edgy because of what's going on downstairs," she said, softly.

"I'm not edgy, I'm angry — but this discussion has been on the way for a while now, and I'm glad we're finally clearing the air," their father barked back. There was another long period of silence while Mister Grayson nervously paced and circled the room, muttering irritably to himself.

Finally, "Listen," he said, taking in a very deep breath, "I'm… sorry I yelled at you — especially now and at a time like this. I apologize to you all. The pressure of the last few nights… and my lack of sleep, have made me a little tense." He held out his arms and the children circled around him.

"We're sorry too, daddy," said Tencha, hugging her father. "I, for one, will try and cut Anna some slack."

Mister Grayson smiled at her. There was another quiet pause as the family shared a moment of closeness in a clustered hug.

"You know what?" said Dowla looking around at her family. "I just had a frightening thought."

"What's that?" asked Eric

"I'll have to admit — I'm a little scared here."

"Scared? Scared of what?"

"Well, we all know what a ball of fire Anna can be… even without any magical ability. Can you imagine her… with a wand?" asked Dowla, an enlightened look of fear shining forth on her face.

For a moment there was silence, and then Mister Grayson started to slowly chuckle. Before long, the other children were starting to snicker as well, which culminated with all of them screaming in hysterical laughter.

"My God… we'll all be in a lot trouble then, won't we?" Eric said, snorting loudly.

"Oh, dear… with that attitude, all that fiery-red hair… and then a witch to boot? I'm heading for the hills!" laughed Mister Grayson, and they all started roaring again.

"What's so funny?" a voice chimed in from the doorway.

"Anna!" shouted Eric, running toward his sister. "It was taking so long; we were starting to get worried."

"So — what did they say?" asked Dowla, walking over eagerly.

"Well… nothing, really; they didn't tell me anything. They did a bunch of tests, cast a few spells, they even tried to hypnotize me once, I think. They put all kinds of stupid things on my head and greasy stuff on my skin. They made me jump off of daddy's desk a few times and tried to bend me into a pretzel once. It was weird," Anna explained.

"So they didn't tell you anything? They didn't give you the results?" asked Eric.

"No — they told me to go upstairs and find you guys, and stay here. They said they would be up in a few minutes. I'm exhausted," Anna complained, sitting in a chair next to the fire.

A few minutes later, the voices of the healers could be heard climbing the staircase from the basement. The entire Grayson family met them at the door.

"Oh… good, you're all here," Doctor Pearl said with a smile. "Healer Nosova and I believe we have enough information to form a summary opinion," said the plump witch, walking into the center of the room with Nosova following close behind.

"Well, then?" said Mister Grayson cautiously, "Tell us… what did you find?"

Nosova spoke first. "Now… you must understand… our tests are looking for any small, minute signs of magic from someone who has never shown any capabilities in the past. As such, ve never expected Anna to cast a spell, or conjure something impressive for us." He could see the impatient look from those listening in the room around him. "Vot ve are saying is — this is not something that she can directly control and show us. It is, rather, how you say… digging for something out of her. So… after all of our tests — there is enough evidence to suggest that Anna _might_ be a vitch." The healer finished in a self-satisfied voice, but there was confused silence from the family in reply.

"What does that mean? 'She might be a witch'? Is she, or isn't she?" Tencha shouted in frustration.

Mister Grayson stepped forward. "Healer Nosova… we really expected you to tell us if Anna…"

"Calm yourselves," interrupted Doctor Pearl. "We have learned enough to give our permission to take the final step. We want to test her with a wand."

"So… do it!" demanded Damon testily.

Pearl smiled and then shook her head. "You must understand; it is against wizard law to purposely give a Muggle a wand, and it's for her own protection that these laws exist. There are very strict protocols that must be followed here. We now believe the best way to see if Anna has any capabilities is to put a wand in her hand. The wand amplifies the witch or wizard's abilities, little as they may or may not be, and focuses the mind by the use of the magical substance in its core. A few wizards can do very simple magic without a wand, but almost all have to use a wand for any complex spells and charms. Some wizards can't do anything at all without a wand. Some have to actually say a spell verbally, while others can do it by concentrating on the spell in their mind. It all comes down to experience, talent, and the personal gifts each of us possesses. No two witches or wizards are exactly alike, so there is no sure way of knowing how much help an individual needs until that person actually holds a wand. We would like to give Anna a wand and see what she can do. We are confident enough from our tests that she should be safe from any unforeseen harm," Doctor Pearl finished.

"So… vit your permission," added Nosova, "ve vood recommend proceeding to this last step. Naturally, ve could have done this downstairs — but since this should give us the final answer ve ver looking for, ve thought it should be done vith her family present, no?"

"All right," said Mister Grayson, "so what do you need from me?"

"A wand, of course," chirped Pearl, "preferably… one from her family. An immediate family member might provide a wand closest to what she would need, one best suited to her personal needs and abilities. When looking for these minute signs of magic — a family wand would give us the best chance of detecting what's there."

"Here — use mine," said Eric, pulling his wand out from inside his robes. The healers looked at Mister Grayson.

"We were thinking… the father's wand would give her the best chance," said Doctor Pearl.

Mister Grayson stood there looking at Pearl. He then slowly pulled his wand out of the pocket of his robes, and looked down as if to inspect it closely. Then he looked at Anna and smiled. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for Anna. She had never held a wand in her life, and now her own father was going to hand his wand to her. Anna's heart was thumping heavy in her chest. This was it, or so she thought.

"No," Mister Grayson said firmly.

"What?" yelped Doctor Pearl, with a heavy jerk. "Mister Grayson… I can assure you of Anna's safety. All of our tests have shown…"

"Not this wand," said Mister Grayson. "I have another — let me go and get it." He swept out of the room quickly and trotted down the staircase.

"Very… well, then," said Doctor Pearl, looking utterly perplexed.

Anna looked at Eric and saw him shrugging at the healers. He obviously didn't understand what their father was doing either.

A few minutes later, Mister Grayson walked back into the room carrying a long wooden box under his arm. He stopped near the fireplace and flipped opened the lid of the box. He then pulled out a deep purple wand.

"Purple heart!" said Doctor Pearl in amazement. "Excellent… but a very rare wood for a wand, to be sure. And… the core?" she asked, inquisitively.

Mister Grayson looked at Anna. "Nundu hair wrapped in Manticore skin," he answered guardedly. Anna looked at the wand in her father's hand; she had never seen anything like it.

Nosova frowned. "A very rare vood, and an exceptionally uncommon core. Mister Grayson… I am not sure this vand vood make for a suitable test," he said, looking at Doctor Pearl, who was cautiously nodding in agreement.

"No — this would be the right wand… it's been in the family for a very, very long time," replied Mister Grayson, still not taking his eyes off of Anna.

"I see. May I have a look, then?" asked Doctor Pearl.

"Of course," said Mister Grayson, who walked over to the doctor and handed her the wand.

Pearl inspected every inch of the purple heart in much the same way she had done with the letter from Castlewood earlier that morning. She pointed the wand into the fireplace and shouted "_Relashio_!" Immediately, bright purple sparks shot out from the end of the wand. "Oh… excellent condition, but very old. Mister Grayson, are you sure you want to use this particular wand for our test?"

"I'm sure," Mister Grayson said sharply.

"Very well… if you would be so kind as to hand it to Anna, then?" said Pearl in a somewhat worried tone. Mister Grayson took the wand from the doctor's hand.

"Gladly," he said, turning back to look at Anna again. He walked over to her as the rest of the Grayson children stepped in next to him to watch. He held out the wand by its tip toward Anna. She stared down at the purple handle of the wand in front of her, and then up again into her father's eyes.

"Magic or not — we are all Graysons," he said with a wink.

"Go on, Anna — take it!" Eric said, excitedly.

"Yes, dear — just grab it firmly by the handle," suggested Doctor Pearl, who still looked a little worried.

Anna reached out and, looking into her father's eyes, she took the wand from his hand. Immediately there was a bright flash of purple light shooting out of Anna's body. A strong blinding wind seemed to blow upward from the floor standing her red hair on end. She looked down in shock and watched, as the wand seemed to sink itself into the flesh of her wrist, as if sliding up her sleeve, and then retracted itself once more into her open hand. She could feel a hot flash burst forth from her body, knocking the rest of the Graysons backward a step. And then everything was suddenly quiet; it had ended as quickly as it started.

Doctor Pearl quickly marched up to Anna and snatched the wand from her outstretched hand. Without saying another word, she walked over to Mister Grayson and handed him the purple heart. She then walked back to her spot next to Nosova and nodded before turning once again to face them. Her hardened expression suddenly broke into a very large smile.

"Congratulations — it looks like the Graysons have another witch in the family!"

105


	11. The Book of Births

Chapter 11d11 – The Book of Births

Chapter 11

The Book of Births

ONE

Many of the wizards who were searching the grounds outside the Grayson estate stopped what they were doing to look up toward manor hill. They heard an explosion of screams that would make any who heard it wonder aloud: _Did something good or bad just happen?_ The tumultuous uproar sent the owls from the owlry into flight around the house, and most of the forest creatures were suddenly still as if stopping to wonder too what had just happened. The thunderous screams of happy delight were coming from the family room of the vast estate, where Anna was being hoisted up toward the ceiling by Mister Grayson while Eric, Dowla, Tencha and even Damon bellowed and cheered in chorus with every framed image within the house.

The healers had confirmed it; Anna was indeed a witch. At that moment, it didn't matter how this had happened, or why it had taken so long to be acknowledged. No one knew why her powers were lying dormant for so many years before beginning their inevitable rise within the last few days. All of these questions would be discussed and talked about in the following days to come. For now, the Graysons were in joyous celebration.

Anna was beside herself with joy. As the powerful master of the Grayson family held her above his head, Anna was arched back with her hands pressed against her crying face in utter shock and disbelief. She had told herself this could not happen. She had convinced herself there was no way it could be true. She did these things to protect herself from what she thought would only be the most depressing results. But she was wrong; Anna Grayson was indeed a witch. A sorceress from a most noble family, who could trace its history and accomplishments back several hundred years. She was now exactly what everybody in the Wizarding world expected when they heard her name. She was a Grayson, and Anna would now take full part in that heritage.

"You did it Anna! You're wonderful, beautiful! Your mother would be so proud of you!" shouted her father. Anna lifted her hands and looked down at her beaming father below her. She reached down and hugged his head, bawling tears of joys into his black hair.

"I can't believe it, daddy… I can't believe it. It's true — isn't it? I love you so much. Thank you for giving me a chance," Anna screamed. Her father lowered her down just enough to hug her properly, but low enough to allow the rest of the Grayson family to run in and hug them both.

"I knew it! Didn't I say it yesterday? Didn't I tell you? Oh Anna, I'm so happy for you," yelled Eric, who now grabbed Anna by the waist and hoisted her high again. Anna was passed from Mister Grayson to Eric without her feet ever touching the floor.

Anna hugged Eric with all her might. "You never stopped believing, did you? You never stopped telling me to keep my dreams alive and now look at us. Oh Eric… I can't believe it," Anna cried, hugging her brother even tighter.

"Put her down… you're going to smother her," yelled Tencha, but when Anna's feet finally hit the floor she was instantly mobbed again. Tencha and Dowla were still screaming as they attacked Anna from both sides.

"I can't believe it… oh, Anna, I can't believe this," yelled Dowla, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"You're a witch? How could you keep this from us? I suppose now you're going to be looking for some serious payback for all those spells I threw at you?" cried Tencha, through a very wet face, as she grabbed and hugged Anna again.

All of their past misdeeds forgotten, Anna sobbed in happy delight as she held her sisters close, swaying side to side in a walking dance between them.

There was a whisper in her ear from Dowla. "Anna…Look at daddy."

Anna let go of the twins and turned around to see her father who had his back to the family, leaning weakly against the mantel of the fireplace. A single hand covered his face; he was sobbing. Anna looked at Dowla, who smiled, and motioned for her to go to him. Anna walked across the room, amongst the continuing cheers and laughter, and placed her hand upon her father's shoulder.

"Daddy?" she said softly. Her father turned and smiled down at her, his eyes full of tears.

"I told you before — none of this would matter to me," he said somberly. "I told you I couldn't love you anymore than I did a few moments ago… and I meant it. I can't possibly love you more, but so much is now open to you, Anna. Whatever limitations we thought might have held you back have been washed away. I've prayed to God so many times to give me the wisdom and strength to help you, but I never expected this. I will be thanking him for the rest of my days for what's happened tonight, and for giving you this chance. I now leave the rest to you," he said, kissing each of her hands.

"I have tried to tell all of my children — _never take anything in life for granted_. If anything good can be said about the years leading up to tonight, it's that I know I'll never have to remind you of this prudent wisdom. You have been blessed tonight, Anna. God in heaven has decided to smile brightly on you and our family once again. Let us not forget to thank him often for his grace and mercy."

"Amen," said Eric.

"I was blessed long before tonight, daddy," Anna said through her falling tears. "I was blessed the day I was born… because you were my father." They hugged again, as the portraits around them sang together and cheered.

Mister Grayson suddenly broke away, "Widwick!" he bellowed.

"Yes, Master Grayson, I is here, sir," said the house elf, wiping his own tears away as he scampered into the middle of the room.

"This calls for a feast! Nothing but the best for the family and our fine guests tonight," said Mister Grayson.

"Yes, sir; of course, sir. I is proud to do it, I is," Widwick replied, and with a snap of his fingers and a loud _POP_, he Disapparated straight to the kitchen.

"I hope you will stay with us for dinner tonight and join in our happy celebration!" Mister Grayson said gleefully to the healers in the room.

Nosova and Doctor Pearl looked at each other and smiled. "Thank you, it vood be an honor."

"I'll just need to send an owl to the Chancellor," Pearl said, beaming. "Oh… and that reminds me." She walked over to Anna and reached into the pocket of her robes to pull out the invitation to Castlewood. "I believe this belongs to you, my dear?" she said with a smile.

Anna took the letter and held it tight with both hands against her chest. "Thank you," she said with a shaking voice.

Doctor Pearl straightened. "Can I inform the Chancellor that Miss Anna Grayson of the Grayson Estate accepts this invitation to join us at the Academy in three days?" she said, in a serious and business-like voice.

Anna smiled, wiped her nose, and then straightened to reply. "Yes, you may tell our good friend the Chancellor that Anna Grayson of the Grayson Estate formally accepts his invitation to study the Magical Arts this upcoming year. I look forward to meeting him personally, and participating in all of the many rich traditions of his wonderful school." Anna and the doctor nodded properly, and then stoically shook hands.

"OH PLEEEESSSSEEEE…" said Dowla, rolling her eyes next to them.

Anna and Doctor Pearl were barely able to contain their giggles, and burst out laughing once again. Anna hugged her. "Thank you so much for helping me, Doctor," she said softly.

"It was my pleasure, dearie, my truest pleasure," Pearl replied with a sniff. She pulled away from Anna and smiled up at Mister Grayson. "Could I borrow an owl for my message of good news back to the school?"

"Of course; just go down to my office and ask for Greechins. He can assist you with all your needs. Please join us for dinner afterwards, and give my regards and thanks to Chancellor Thordarson."

"Thank you, and I will," said Pearl, and she turned and headed downstairs once again.

Anna turned to find Damon standing behind of her. His smile gone, he was now carrying a very suspicious look on his face.

"So… there is a witch in there after all," he said haughtily.

"Apparently so," Anna replied. Even though she was happy, she couldn't help feeling Damon still looked rather smug for one about to eat his words.

"Yeah — how 'bout that Damon? It looks like you'll have to drop the word squib from your vocabulary," interjected Eric from the side. The rest of the Graysons laughed. Damon smirked; his bony jaws clinched tight as his eyes darted scathingly in Eric's direction.

"Yes… it's all very interesting, isn't it? First a squib… and then you're not. First a Muggle… and then a witch," Damon said, in his all too familiar and menacing voice. "Let's just hope you don't revert back again in the near future," he said, with a curled smile. "I'm looking forward to our wizarding duels at the school… little sssssq… sister."

Anna stared at her brother and then smiled. She then reached out and, for the first time in her life, she hugged Damon, leaning in to whisper into his ear, "Thank you for your support." Damon pulled away with a very uncomfortable look on his face. Obviously, the hug was not the reaction he had been working for.

Recovering adequately, he stretched out his hand with the familiar twist returning to his upper lip. "Good luck in school, then" he said sharply.

Anna looked down at Damon's hand and raised her own to grasp it tight. "Thank you, Damon. I look forward to seeing you there," she said with a coiled smile. They shook, but before Damon could move away, Anna yanked him close so that their noses were nearly touching again. "And I'm looking forward to our duels as well… both with and without our wands," she growled through her steely gaze. Damon's eyes flashed, as if they had already set the date for their first encounter.

"Oooooooo… now that doesn't sound too good," said Dowla, wide eyed and looking around the room.

"Oh boy — I'm reserving a front row seat for that fight," said Eric, smiling with an evil grin. He looked at Mister Grayson standing by the fire. Their father was smiling too.

"Yes — and make sure you buy an extra ticket for me. I'll gladly travel the three thousand miles to see that!" said Mister Grayson, who walked over to Anna and Damon, still glaring menacingly at each other, their locked grip squeezing for all the pain they could muster. Their father swatted them both on the shoulders. "Let's eat!" he said sharply, and then walked between them to break the two apart.

Damon placed his hands into his robes and smiled congenially at his father passing between them. He could see Mister Grayson's eyes glaring at him from their corners. Damon looked again at Anna, dropped his smile, and then turned to follow their father into the dining room.

As the rest of the family fell in line behind them, the Healer Nosova whispered to Tencha, "Did I miss something? Is there something vong between Damon and Anna?"

Tencha turned. "Oh, it's just a little misunderstanding they have," she said, smiling.

"Oh…? And how long 'ave they been arguing?" he asked suspiciously.

"Since birth, I'm afraid," said Tencha, and she laughed at the very shocked look on Nosova's face.

TWO

The Grayson feast was a memorable event. Widwick, with Gabby's help, had presented a fabulous meal. The W-Ds included ham and roast beef and several different casseroles and breads. The wine, as always, was fantastic, and Mister Grayson gleefully showed Healer Nosova his extensive wine cellar before returning to the dinning room to join the family for desert and coffee. Widwick thought it best to avoid serving pies this night, so he offered several old-world puddings and cakes for desert instead. Soon the whole family was full and content, enjoying the company of their guests, and engaging in happy conversation.

"Widwick, as always, you have really outdone yourself again tonight. The meal was outstanding," said Mister Grayson, who raised his coffee cup in the elf's honor.

"Yes, the dinner was fantastic — thank you, Widwick," said Doctor Pearl approvingly.

"You is very welcome, Master-sir. It is always wonderful to have guests to cook for," Widwick said with pride.

"You mean guests to showoff to," said Dowla with a laugh. "Widwick is the best cook on the Wizarding west coast."

Anna had never been so happy, but something had been troubling her thoughts throughout the meal. "Doctor Pearl, may I ask you a question?"

The doctor looked up at Anna, smiling. "Of course… what is it, dear?"

"Well — how did the school know to send me that invitation? It seems they knew I was a witch even before I or my family did. How is that possible?"

Doctor Pearl grinned broadly. "Well… it's just a bit of simple old magic, really. You see… our school keeps track of all of the children born in America by way of a magical book of births called the _Tonnanarsus_. When a future wizard or witch is born, either from a wizard or Muggle family, their name is magically written into the book. The founders of the school placed an enchantment on the _Tonnanarsus_ to save them from having to search out these wizarding children, and to keep track of their whereabouts until they reached the age of invitation to the school. For Castlewood — the age of invitation happens on their eleventh birthday. Each day, the book checks for the children of age, and then sends them their invitation before the start of the school year in September.

"So why couldn't we have just looked in the book when I was born; and saved my family a lot of…" Anna stumbled slightly on her words, "a lot of heartache about my lack of abilities?" Pearl frowned, and then looked at Mister Grayson. She seemed to be searching for permission to explain. Mister Grayson peered over his coffee cup at the doctor, and then nodded his careful approval.

The doctor then turned to Anna again. "The staff at the school will not look in the book for individual names born to our wizarding families. This information is considered most private. Who is or is not wizard and Muggle-born should be of no concern to anyone but the families involved. Our traditions for the book's use are based on these formalities and…" Pearl stopped as if trying to find the right words to explain something delicate, "some very dark history."

"Dark history?" asked Tencha pryingly. "What do you mean?"

Doctor Pearl gave an unpleasant sigh, glancing again at Mister Grayson. "In the early days of the school, the old wizarding families who knew about the book would contact us to make sure a newborn's name was written in the _Tonnanarsus_. The practice of giving out this information, even directly to the families, was stopped nearly two hundred years ago."

"Why did they stop? I mean if the parents of the baby wanted to know — why wouldn't the school give them the information?" asked Anna.

The doctor wiped her mouth with her napkin nervously, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "The school stopped giving out this information when reports were delivered to the staff that some of the children… were being killed by their wizarding parents if their names were not found in the book."

All of the children gasped, except for Damon, who let go an amused chuckle.

"Yes… for whatever reason, be it pride or arrogance, these families apparently saw to it these children did not survive long if they received information not of their liking — God rest their souls," Pearl said, picking up her wine glass to take another drink. "Now keep in mind, these were very rare occurrences, perpetrated by families whose reputation aligned them to the darker elements of the Wizarding world — but they were not the only ones doing it. There were also reports of Muggle families destroying wizarding children as well." This time Damon gasped.

"Once a Muggle family found out about the book after one of their children received an invitation — they quite naturally started asking questions about some of their younger brothers and sisters. These were very dark times for the school. So the decision was made not to give out any information from the book about a child until they reached their eleventh birthday."

Anna glanced over to her father. "Daddy — did you ever have the book checked for my name?"

Mister Grayson set his coffee cup down and looked at Anna. "Yes, I did. Whenever one of my children turned eleven, we usually received an invitation within the same week. I can honestly say I never really expected it, but when your invitation didn't come, I made contact with the school to have the book checked… just to be sure."

"And…" asked Anna, "did you find my name written in the book?"

There was a long pause as Mister Grayson leaned back in his chair and looked at Doctor Pearl. He turned to face Anna again. "No… I was told your name was not written in the book of births."

Anna was shocked, as was everybody else at the table.

"But father — I don't understand. If Anna's name wasn't in the book when you had it checked two years ago, why would she receive a letter now?" asked Eric.

Mister Grayson paused. "Now that's a very good question, Eric. I think I'm just as confused as you are on that issue." Everybody at the table turned to Doctor Pearl.

She smiled slightly. "Well — it's kind of a mystery to us all. When the Chancellor told me about his conversation with Mister Grayson regarding Anna receiving her letter, naturally we went to the book of births to check." She stopped to take another drink from her wineglass.

"And? What did you see?" demanded Eric.

Doctor Pearl set her glass down and looked up at Anna. "Your name was there in the book of births, dear, but, strangely enough, it was the very last entry made. It was as if the _Tonnanarsus_ only recognized your birth a few days ago, but it must have known how old you were, because it sent out the invitation almost immediately."

The whole Grayson family sat stunned in their chairs. Even Mister Grayson seemed very surprised. The Doctor seemed to appreciate their confusion.

"We don't understand it either," Pearl confessed. "In the entire history of our school — this has never happened before, and both Healer Nosova and I agree, in all our combined years of medicine, we have never heard of anything like this — where a witch's powers lie dormant for this period of time. Some witches and wizards have very weak magical strength, to the point of almost being a Muggle… but nothing for nearly thirteen years? It's unprecedented. Even Chancellor Thordarson seemed rather reluctant to try and explain this."

There was a strange stillness resident around the table until Nosova spoke. "Vell… that is not entirely true." The family turned to face him as the man continued. "There vas one other case in the record that described something similar to this occurrence. It involved a vizard over fifteen centuries ago. Now, you must know, the records of that day ver nowhere near as accurate as today, but it seems there vas a boy who did not display any magical ability until he vas almost fifteen years old. Later in life — he became one of the most powerful vizards of the day… and in history.

"And… who was that wizard?" asked Tencha

The doctor paused and looked around the table very slowly — his eyes finally fixing upon Anna. "His name vas Merlin."

Everyone in the room was stunned. Finally, it was Dowla who spoke first.

"Merlin? You mean — the Merlin? The greatest wizard of all time; that Merlin?" she stammered in amazement.

"That is right," said Nosova. "Rather strange, is it not? And I never saw the similarities until tonight. After my examination of Anna yesterday, and hearing her accounts of the strange creature-like abilities she described to me, I made contact vit a few of my colleagues to gather their advice on this case. I never mentioned your family's name, of course, but one of these healers told me some of the patient's comments and abilities somehow sounded familiar to him. He contacted me again this morning to say he found the information he had remembered in some of the old vitings on Merlin in his early life. Everybody knows, of course, of Merlin's great magical power, but very few people know about the other abilities that made this skillful vizard unique. For example — did you know Merlin vas an Animagus?"

"Yes — I heard that before," said Mister Grayson, "But wasn't there something special about that too? I seem to recall hearing something more than just his being able to self-transform into an animal. However… I can't remember what it was that made his case special."

"Very good… yes — in fact, he vas vat ve call a _natural_ Animagus," replied Nosova.

"Ah, yes… that's right, now I remember," said Mister Grayson, who stood and began to pace behind his chair. "As you explained to Anna last night… Animagi usually go through extensive training before attempting this very difficult transformation. But Merlin was able to do it without any training at all. It was spontaneous. I forget what animal he was able to turn himself into — some kind of bird, I believe."

"Correct — in fact, it vas a falcon," said Nosova, who seemed impressed with Mister Grayson's recollection of the facts. "Being a natural Animagus made Merlin unique in the vizarding vorld and throughout most of our history. He vas also able to accomplish the most complex spells vit-out the use of a vand. In fact, in his later years, he vas rarely seen vit a vand at all. But the thing that really made me think about Anna vas the connection Merlin had vit the animals — especially the magical creatures. It is said he could calm the vildest creatures, and even sleep in a den of lions as a brother. Of course, a lot of this is open to interpretation, but some of his encounters are very vell documented. He most definitely had a very deep understanding of the inner nature of all magical creatures and animals. Now, I still hold to my original statement yesterday. No vitch or vizard has ever been able to turn themselves into a magical creature, and that vood also include Merlin himself." Nosova then turned to Anna with a confronting smile. "Fortunately, Anna, this leads us to believe the Lethifold that attacked you and Damon the other night most definitely came from outside."

"Well — of course it did," said Damon, staring at Nosova with a confused look on his face. "Where else would it have come from?" Apparently, neither Eric nor her father had shared Anna's belief that she had turned into the Lethifold with the other members of the Grayson family. Anna was relieved.

"It doesn't matter," said Mister Grayson. Their father obviously didn't want to share Anna's fears with anybody else. Healer Nosova seemed to understand Mister Grayson's wishes and changed the subject.

"Any-vay," the healer continued, "…ve found this information about Merlin's abilities laying dormant for most of his childhood. I never knew Mister Grayson had called the school to make the arrangements to have Anna's abilities checked until I arrived here this morning." The doctor paused to take another drink. He sat back and then looked at Doctor Pearl. "I think it tis ironic dat my studies of Anna's case lead me to reading about Merlin's past, yes? And now we find something in his past that leads us back to Anna tonight."

"Well, it certainly does make for… _hic_… interesting dinner conversation, doesn't it?" said Doctor Pearl, who seemed to be giggling a little too much as she tipped her glass to take another drink. "The fact is — it remains to be seen what kind of witch Anna will be. Because her abilities came to the surface so late, she may be somewhat limited in her abilities," she said, swaying slightly in her chair. "Or… who knows? She might become the next great Merlin," she chimed brightly, raising her glass as if toasting to Anna's unknown future.

Damon tutted loudly — sneering at the very idea of Anna's name being used in the same sentence as the world's greatest wizard.

"Ah… you may scoff, young man," retorted Pearl, looking at Damon. "But you never know how a Castlewood student might turn out," she said with building pride. "However limited or great Anna may be… Castlewood will bring out the best in her, as it does all of its students." She hiccupped again and took another drink.

"Spoken like a true faculty member," said Mister Grayson with a smile. "The Chancellor would be proud."

Two hours later, Anna was warm and in bed, reflecting on her future. Her life had been in a state of utter chaos just two days ago, and now she couldn't be happier. She was going to Castlewood. She was going to study the magical arts with Eric and the rest of the Grayson children. Anna was almost giddy with delight.

But then, as if remembering the coming of some menacing storm, her thoughts circled around that of the Lethifold. She knew nobody believed her story about changing into the creature. How could she go to Castlewood and put everybody there in danger? _But how could I not go?_ She had prayed for this opportunity, and now here it was within her reach. How could she give up this chance? At that moment, it all seemed too unfair to even consider, and she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. She tried to reach out with her mind in the spaces around her room, but found she could not. She summoned a small part of her courage, and began searching deep within her own soul, looking for the coldness of the creature inside her. Was it still there? Would it come back again? She couldn't tell; there was no trace of the thing within. Anna was cozy and warm, inside and out, and her mind finally relaxed for the briefest moment, but long enough to fall into a deep sleep.

THREE

It was several hours later when Anna started to feel very cold again. At first, she thought she had lost her bedding while she slept, because the coldness seemed to sweep over her entire body so completely. It wasn't until she heard the faint but familiar tinkling of the crystal fixture on the bedroom ceiling that her eyes snapped open. The room was still dark, but Anna could now see her fogged breath in front of her face, as she lay on her side shaking from the cold. Her eyes moved to their edges, searching for what she could see of her room through her tangled hair.

"Ssssssssssssssss," came an eerie hiss from the foot of her bed. It was that sound again; the same frightening sound made by her visitor three nights ago, when the thing came to deliver its strange warning of danger.

Anna bolted up, her eyes struggling to focus on an image blooming white at the foot of her bed. To her amazement, she could see something floating in mid-air in the center of the room. It was a wisp-filled cloud of luminous radiance that continuously changed its shape and color. The thing seemed to brighten on its circular edges, and then flow in onto itself toward a dark center. It made no sound, but lit the walls with a dim vibrating iridescence, like an unnatural light passing through moving water.

"Danger is coming, child," the whispery voice said. "You must prepare yourself."

It was the same message as before. Knowing the thing hadn't tried to hurt her the first time, Anna responded quickly.

"Who are you?" she asked anxiously. Then, not knowing if the light before her could understand what she was saying, she added — "Can you hear me?"

"I hear you, child. Are you prepared?" asked the strange voice.

"Prepared? Prepared for what?"

"The conflict to come."

"Conflict? I don't understand? Who are you?"

"I am… part of the family… an ally," said the voice, "You are to embark on a crusade, little one. A struggle against madness."

Anna repeated the only thing she understood. "A crusade? What does that mean? What are you?" Anna's bravery was growing bolder by the second.

"My name… is… unknown to me now. I have only recently awakened. Chaos is coming. Magic has detected the inevitable clash… and seeks to protect itself."

"Protect itself? Magic? What are you talking…?"

"I am your interpreter," the voice interrupted. "I was sent to assist you… and make sure you are ready."

"Sent by whom?"

"By the forces fighting against madness — by magic itself."

"You speak of magic as if it were a person. You're not talking about any magic I know."

"What of magic do you know? What power, until recently, have you used to touch its existence, to think you understand its nature so well?" the voice said, in an increasingly angry tone.

This statement surprised Anna. Was it her imagination, or did this thing just say it knew about the changes in her abilities? _How could it have known… unless?_

"Do you know anything about the strange things that have been happening to me?" Anna asked suspiciously.

"Sshh," hissed the voice, "I know the power given to you at birth has been awakened. Magic has aroused us both to aid in its protection."

Anna could now see the formless white cloud beginning to take on a defined shape; the smallest resemblance of a person was now standing in the room before her.

"Protection from what?" asked Anna.

"Chaos," repeated the voice again.

"Look… I don't understand. You say you're here to help me, but you can't tell me who you are. You say I have to prepare for some kind of conflict, but I don't understand what you mean," said Anna, walking across the bed on her hands and knees toward the thing floating before her.

"I weaken," said the dulling form. And judging by the dimming light now projected into her room, Anna knew the thing would be leaving her soon. She decided to dump her remaining caution.

"I have been invited to go to Castlewood and study the magical arts — do you know that?" she asked. There was a long pause.

"Yes…you are to be prepared. You must understand your nature if you are to protect magic from madness."

"But I can't go to Castlewood because I…"

"You must go!" the voice said, sounding slightly panicked.

"But… I think… I've become a monster. A thing too dangerous to…"

"It is of no consequence," the glowing figure interrupted sharply.

"What are you talking about?" Anna argued back, "I can't put all those people at the school in danger."

"The creature you fear is merely an extension of your own nature. It can be controlled."

"So… I did change into that… that thing?" Anna's heart was thumping so hard she thought it was going to explode. "Why?"

"Yes… _orbus_; you and the creature you dread are one. Do not fear it. There are many such familiarities in your nature. You must learn to control your passions. They will only bring chaos out of the magic you have touched." The voice was now fading fast; the figure began to turn away as if to leave the room.

"Why do you call me _orphan_?" Anna asked, her mind searching for as many questions as possible in the time remaining.

The figure stopped and turned toward her again. "Your mother… is gone, yes?" asked the clouded light standing there.

"Well… yes… she died many years ago… but my father is still with me."

"Your father? Who is… what father is this?"

"Boris Grayson is my father, he's sleeping in the room down the hall," Anna answered unthinkingly.

The form seemed to fall back slightly upon hearing this and then, quite unexpectedly, it shot forward. Its far-off shapeless body charged through the air, changing shape as it advanced upon Anna. Anna scrambled backwards trying to get away, finally finding herself pinned against her headboard as a huge featureless face, a dazzling bright head the size of a door, peered at Anna just inches away. Anna's head was turned; the side of her face pressed against the headboard as her terrified eyes, half closed, cowered before the creature from the corners of their sockets. The coldness of the thing was overwhelming, penetrating straight through her chest and into the skin of her back.

"You… are the daughter of Boris Grayson?" screeched the form in front of her, the enormous head turning slightly, almost pryingly. "ANSWER!" The thing demanded.

Anna could barely breathe. She couldn't move. She kicked down at her bedding with her heels, pressing herself hard against the headboard, trying to get away from the thing pressing in on her. Finally, Anna managed to speak.

"Yes, my name is Anna Grayson. Boris and Victoria Grayson are my parents. Please get back. I… I… can't breathe," Anna said, in a terrified voice.

The massive head moved forward still nearer, inspecting Anna closely as she pressed back against the wall. The figure then backed away, reverting slowly into the shapeless, now walking form at the foot of her bed. Although Anna's room was still very cold, the air around her seemed to instantly warm as the creature moved away.

"Forgive me," said the figure, "I have been away for a very long time. Things are not as I remember." Anna was relieved to see the ghost-like presence return to a less hostile form. "I tire. We shall speak again when I have gained enough strength to return to you. You must work to understand your nature, child. I will help you where and when I can." And with this final promise, the light began to fade; and in a flash of stunning white, it vanished. The room immediately began to warm again, but Anna was still pressed against her headboard, shivering with fright.

116


	12. The Line

Chapter 12d14 — The Line

Chapter 12

The Line

ONE

It took Anna several hours to finally get back to sleep after the ghost had come to visit her again. After replaying everything over in her mind the next morning, she began to take comfort in some of the things the apparition had said. It said Anna had to control her passions if she was to control the creature inside her. Although she wasn't sure she understood this, at least there was hope the creature could be controlled. Thinking back, she recalled the last two times she had felt the dark coldness of the Lethifold. It had come during very similar situations, and when her emotions were nearly out of control. Anna realized it was the emotion of blind rage that seemed to set the thing off; when Mrs. Drummond had threatened her, and when Damon was torturing Widwick in her dream. It was during these moments of shock and anger that Anna began to change.

But the change wasn't just physical. Her very being seemed to align itself to the creature's most basic instincts as she transformed. The feelings of starving hunger, and her inability to recognize Damon when she was attacking him were extremely frightening to her. _How could something like this be controlled?_ Her ghostly visitor had said that she, Anna, and the creature shared the same nature; _what did that mean?_

After much soul searching over the next two days, Anna became more resolute than ever not to give up her chance to go to Castlewood. She wearily began to trust her visitor's advice, and started to believe she could control this inner beast if she had to. Once she had reached this conclusion, Anna didn't want to think about it anymore; for if she did, she wasn't sure she wouldn't change her mind again. It was easy to convince herself of the validity of this decision where traveling to Castlewood was at stake.

Nothing else the visitor said made any sense to Anna at all. Apparently, the ghost had been awakened for the same reason Anna's abilities had risen from wherever they had been hiding. She was expected to guard against some kind of future conflict to come. Although she didn't understand any of this, Anna was sure the ally would come to her again to tell her more. For now, Anna understood they both wanted the same thing: She was to go to Castlewood, and, for now, she would accept this mutually satisfying objective.

In the days that followed, Anna received many more owls with instructions from Castlewood. Although Anna was almost thirteen years old, to be a fully qualified witch, she was expected to enter the academy as a first-year student, which meant she was already a full year behind her peers. Her course schedule and list of books arrived the day after Doctor Pearl had informed the Chancellor about her test results, and then, to her complete surprise, Anna received a letter from the Castlewood Chancellor himself, Professor Thordarson:

_Dear Anna,_

_I was delighted to hear you would be joining us this coming year at Castlewood. Although the circumstances of your entry have been somewhat unusual, we are sure you will thrive in our scholastic environment. You know, of course, your father, Boris Grayson, also studied the magical arts here, and was, by all measures, an outstanding scholar. Your mother, Victoria Grayson, was also one of our top students and the recipient of many academic honors for her achievements during her time with us. Your family has demonstrated a fine tradition of success at our school, which I am confident you will carry forward in your studies here as well. Please feel free to contact me if you have any special needs pursuant to your late entry into the school. I will personally see to any changes in your accommodations where they are judged to be necessary. We look forward to seeing yet another member of the Grayson family here at the Academy._

_Yours in Highest Regards, Elimar Thordarson Professor of Wizard Law, History, and Psychological Studies Chancellor of Castlewood Academy for the Magical Arts_

On the day of their departure, the house was alive with the excitement of bustling teenagers packing their remaining trunks. Cages were brought out of summer storage for the owls each of the Grayson children would be taking with them to Castlewood. Only Eric insisted on the same owl every year; a very large and stiff looking horned owl, which he had named Butch. Mister Grayson told Anna to go to the attic owlry to pick out an owl for herself, and Eric went along to help her make her selection.

"Now… you have to choose well, Anna, because it could take a while to send a letter home if you your owl isn't up to the task," Eric said expertly. "I always take Butch because he's a very large bird, and doesn't stray off course so easily in bad wind and weather. Last year Dowla and I had a fight, and I found out she had sent an owl to father with a load of excuses. I sent Butch the next morning to explain my side of the argument, and he showed up at the house one full day before that stupid runt of an owl she was using," he said, with an amused grin.

As they walked up the long spiral staircase into the owlry, Anna could feel the steady thumping sounds of several small heartbeats on the floor above them. To her, it felt like the steady, reverberating chorus of a marching band.

"Here we are," Eric said, stepping into the musty room. He looked quickly about and then frowned. "Uh-oh," he said worriedly. "The other horned owl is gone… Dowla must have taken it for herself. Our sister learns a fast lesson, doesn't she?" Anna smiled as she looked around. The room looked like a hollowed out church tower with several splintered, wooden beams crossing beneath a series of open arched windows high above them in the ceiling.

"So… what do you think?" Eric said, looking carefully around the room. Several dozen owls of different size, color, and breed sat dozing in the shadows, looking down uncaringly from their many perches and hollows. "See anything you like? Outside the swift horns — I guess the rest are pretty much the same," her brother explained. "How about that one?" He pointed to a young barn owl sitting on a ledge, overlooking the freshly swept floor. Anna looked closely at the bird and could sense his reluctance to go outside.

"Too lazy," Anna whispered with a frown.

"Too what?"

Anna kept looking, slowly walking in a circle around the dusty room streaked with the rays of morning light pouring through the windows. A large tawny owl swooped down from the rafters and settled on a perch to Anna's right.

"Why… hello there; interviewing for the job, are you?" she said with a smile. The owl spread his sizeable wings, as if to show his splendid aptitude as a future prospect. Anna looked into his eyes. "You've been having problems getting along with the others, haven't you?" she said knowingly. "Why is that?" The owl dropped his head in noticeable remorse, and Anna kept looking.

"Listen Anna — you have to remember, you're choosing something to deliver your mail. You're not picking a friend," Eric said impatiently.

"Who are you kidding?" Anna retorted, without bothering to look back at her brother. "I've seen the way you and Butch get along. Besides… who better to deliver my messages — than a friend?" Anna didn't see Eric rolling his eyes behind her.

Unsurprisingly, Anna seemed to be able to sense each of the bird's inner personalities, both good and bad. _That one's too shy; she's too fickle; he's very strong, but he doesn't like packages; she only likes the blue envelopes; he likes the sound of tearing parchment,_ she thought with a probing frown. She was pleasantly surprised by the number of different characters that existed in the family owlry.

"Wait a minute," she suddenly said curtly. "Does my father know about you?" she scolded, pointing at a very fat owl, dozing on a high perch.

"What are you talking about?" Eric said, grinning slightly.

"Why… you little freeloader! She hasn't delivered a letter in months," Anna said angrily, pointing at the owl.

"What? But how would you know if…?" but Eric stopped. He had learned long ago not to question Anna's senses when it came to understanding the animals that lived around them. He looked up and frowned. "Maybe she's sick." Anna glared back up at the owl, which had now fully awaken and was clearly looking found out.

"No… she's not sick." Anna walked over and glowered menacingly up at the bird. "You had better start pulling your weight around here, fatso, or I'll have my dad turn you into something more fitting to your way of life… perhaps a big, fat, lazy ground toad?" she said, with a scathing glare.

Looking shocked and very affronted, the large owl ruffled her large wings and jumped into the air. Rising steadily, the bird turned and flew out one of the open windows.

"Good riddance… slacker!" Anna waved angrily.

Eric laughed. "Well… how about that — a vagrant owl. Well… what do you think? See anything you _do_ like up here?"

From the corner of her eye, Anna saw a small owl snoozing comfortably in the corner of a cubbyhole. The light colored bird seemed to be resting after just delivering a large package to the house.

"Hello there, little one," Anna said, smiling. The tired old owl opened a single eye in response, and then lifted his wing to preen under his shoulder; he looked well nested and comfortable after his long trip. He was a very funny looking owl, with bluish-gray feathers and bright orange eyes. He had, what looked like, two little feathered tufts for ears, and a poof of down growing over his tiny beak, which looked unmistakably like a bushy little mustache. In fact, Anna thought the owl reminded her of a stoic English gentleman, who was mindfully proud of his many accomplishments and duties.

"He's a hard worker," Anna said, looking back at Eric.

Eric smiled. "Otus megalotis," he said expertly.

"Say what?"

"A Philippine scops owl. He just arrived with a package for father from overseas. A tough little bird to be sure, but not very big," Eric said, with an uninspired frown.

"Yes, but he's dedicated and dependable, and there's something else about him…" Anna started to explain, but then she stopped. For a moment, Anna didn't know what to say about this owl, but something clearly made him different from all the rest. After a moment of inspection, it suddenly dawned on her. She couldn't read him very well at all.

For most of the owls, Anna could tell Eric a lot about them, their habits, their likes and dislikes, but this one was unlike the rest. She couldn't say much about him other than he was hard-working and proud of what he did for the family.

"Well, he's proven he can fly the long distances," she said. Then, looking back up at the bird, "Would you like to come with me to Castlewood?" The owl turned his head to stare down at her, looking unimpressed. He blinked his left eye, and then his right, as if to say: _Let me think about it._

"I'm not sure about this one, Anna," her brother said, frowning. "He seems a little full of himself to me."

Anna smiled. Finally, a friend complicated enough to make her work to understand him, whose trust she would have to earn. "I'll take him," she said, surprising herself more than Eric.

"Okay… your choice," Eric sighed, before picking up the bird and placing him into the cage. The tired old owl barely noticed his change of sleeping quarters. He looked up at Anna, hooted softly, and then returned to his well-earned nap.

TWO

An hour later, Anna was packing the remaining items for school when she heard Eric's voice booming up the hallway.

"Time to line-up! Come on, everybody — the cars are here. Father wants us downstairs for the line-up in five minutes. Let's go!" She could hear her brother clapping.

"Oh, my God — it's time already?" Anna said, frantically sweeping the remaining items on her dresser into a small bag, which she threw onto the open trunk at the foot of her bed. There was a quick knock at the door. "Come in!"

Eric poked his head in. "Time for the line; you ready?"

"Oh, I don't know," Anna said, frustrated.

Eric rolled his eyes. "Are you sure you have ninety percent of what you'll need?"

"Uhmm… yes, I believe so," she said nervously, wringing her hands and looking around her room.

"Good enough — let's go. Gabby can send you anything you've forgotten. Leave the trunk, the drivers are collecting them for us," he said, directing Anna into the hallway.

"Oh, all right," Anna heaved, walking toward the door.

"No looking back!" Eric warned, as Anna started glancing around the room once again.

"Hey… this is all new to me, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, but father won't tolerate our late arrival in the line. We'd better get down there."

_The line_ was an old Grayson family tradition. As the children prepared to leave for school, the rest of the family stood to inspect them before their departure. It was here where Anna's father offered his final words of wisdom and encouragement before sending them out and into the world _beyond his control_. Anna remembered standing next to her father so many times as he scrutinized the line leaving to go to Castlewood each year and how she prayed, some day, she might join those being inspected. Today was the day it would finally happen.

"Now listen, Anna… this is very important. Keep your comments and answers to his questions short and simple. If you talk too much — father's gonna drill down on you pretty hard. The simpler — the better," Eric explained, as the two galloped down the stairs. "Got it?"

"Got it."

They arrived last in the family room, where they found their father impatiently waiting. "You're late!" he barked irritably. "All right, then — line it up!"

Eric took his place at the far left of the line, facing their father. As Eric settled his feet, he seemed to snap his head straight, as if coming to attention. To his right stood his sister, Dowla, and then Tencha and Damon, shoulder to shoulder. Anna stood inside the doorway looking somewhat uneasy.

"Well — what are you waiting for, Anna? Take your place in the line over there next to Damon," Mister Grayson said sternly.

Anna smiled, and then walked over to the spot furthest to the right in the line. Making sure her toes were even with Damon, she too snapped to attention. She could see Widwick, Gabby, and Mrs. McConnell standing shoulder to shoulder in a line behind their father. Gabby was quietly sobbing into her dirty dishtowel of a dress. Cookie was floating high above them, wearing an old floppy hat and holding a broken riding crop under one misty arm. The portraits in the room were sharing their frames with the other portrait occupants from the rest of the house, who were struggling to find the best place to watch. The suit of armor had moved itself from its pedestal in the dining room to a position behind the children's line, its broadsword raised, ready for inspection.

Mister Grayson straightened to speak. "Once again… the time has come for me to watch you go. Every year, your line grows longer while our line on this side shrinks. That line represents the challenges and changes to come, and the many opportunities for each of you individually. By putting you in that line, I trust you to remember who you are and where it is you come from. Your honor, integrity, and the ambition to succeed will be tested in the months to come; I expect your best when you're here with me, and I demand you honor your family when you are away. I do not give my trust casually and without merit. I only give it to those I know will honor our good name. Can I count on you to protect the trust I now bestow upon you?" Mister Grayson asked in a very loud voice.

"Yes sir!" the children bellowed together.

"Excellent! I now declare to the entire house that those of you standing before me have earned my trust," said Mister Grayson, and the portraits politely applauded. He paused, looking down the line before walking over to face Eric.

"Eric, why is your family honor so important?" he whispered softly.

"The Grayson family honor is the binding element and defines who we are, father. It has been earned by the hard work and sweat of every past generation of Grayson who came before us. Each of us carry the responsibility to remember the sacrifice of those of our family who worked so hard to build our good name and reputation," Eric replied, looking deep into his father's eyes with building pride.

"Outstanding," said Mister Grayson, as the family portraits whispered and nodded approvingly to one another. "By placing you in that line — I'm trusting you'll keep and protect our family honor. Eric… can I trust you to do this while you're away and out of my reach?"

"Yes sir — you can. Your trust is safe here with me, father," Eric said, tearfully.

"Good luck, son," said Mister Grayson. He then reached out and hugged him. "I love you. Please take care of yourself. I have very high expectations for you this year — more than all the rest."

Eric hugged his father back. "I will, father — I love you too. I won't let you down." Mister Grayson nodded, straightened Eric's shoulders, and then stepped to his left to face Dowla next in the line.

"Dowla," Mister Grayson whispered, "tell me about your priorities while you are away and out of my reach."

Dowla gave a relieved smile. "My priorities will be to keep God in my heart, protect my family honor, watch out for the other members of my family, the welfare of those around me, and to dedicate myself to the tasks given to me by my teachers and superiors," she answered smartly.

"Good," Mister Grayson whispered, nodding slowly between her every word. He reached out and hugged his daughter. "Take care of yourself, and please… try to stay out of trouble this year." He pulled back and smiled at her. "But don't forget to have fun," he said, tapping her gently on the nose. "I love you, pumpkin."

"I love you too, daddy. I'm going to miss you so much," she replied through her falling tears. Mister Grayson nodded, kissed Dowla on the cheek, and then stepped over to Tencha.

"Tencha, why should we watch out for the welfare of those around us?"

"Because it's what God expects of all good people, but especially those of us he has blessed with so much," she replied, motioning around the room.

"Yes… and we honor the memory of those Graysons who came before us when we help and protect those in trouble or who are less fortunate," her father added.

"Yes sir — our brothers everywhere," Tencha replied. Mister Grayson sighed, and then slowly reached out to hug his second daughter.

"I love you, sweetheart. Study hard, and take care of yourself." He leaned into her ear. "And do me a favor; make sure Eric gets enough sleep this year, will you?" Tencha nodded tearfully.

"I love you too, daddy," she said, sobbing into her father's shoulder. Mister Grayson kissed Tencha on the cheek, and then stepped over to Damon.

"Damon, would you say our family is strong?" Damon seemed taken back by the question.

"Yes, sir — we are powerful!" he replied forcefully. Mister Grayson seemed to hesitate at hearing his answer, thinking carefully about his response.

"Damon, what is the difference between power and strength?" Again, Damon seemed to struggle to find an answer. "Think Damon; there is a difference. What is it?" asked Mister Grayson; his eyes were peering into Damon's puzzled face.

"I… I think… strength can take many forms and comes from within ourselves."

"Good," Mister Grayson purred, "and power?"

"Power is how we influence our authority," Damon replied without hesitation.

Mister Grayson frowned. He stepped in close to Damon and then whispered, "Your strength does come from within; you're right about that," Mister Grayson said, pointing a single finger into Damon's chest. "The strength of your faith, your character, your drive, and the ability to hold onto the things you know to be true and honorable. Power does not exist without these things, Damon, and it is fleeting without restraint. Power without these strengths is imaginary, and strength without honor can be immoral. Without honor, power can be evil. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Damon replied carefully, but Anna could tell Damon would be thinking about these words for many days to come. Mister Grayson reached out and hugged Damon.

"I love you, son," he said, patting Damon on the cheek. "Work hard in school this year. I'm going to miss you very much."

"I will father — I love you too," Damon replied somberly.

Finally, Mister Grayson turned to face Anna. He stared at her for a moment and then, "Anna, what is the most important strength we as a family possess?"

Anna thought for a moment and then answered. "Our faith and love," she replied cautiously.

"Good — and tell me, do these strengths depend on our personal power or abilities?"

Anna knew the answer immediately. "No, sir — they are gifts from God to us all." Eric smiled in his place at the end of the line as their father brightened. He stepped forward, reached up, and cupped Anna's face in his warm hands.

"Well… look at you. This was rather unexpected, wasn't it? I was so looking forward to our chess matches this winter. I'm gong to miss you, Anna — I love you very much. I know you've waited a very long time for this — longer than all the rest. You're going to learn a lot about yourself this year. It would be natural to question yourself many times; but never question who you are or where you come from. Can I trust you to honor your faith while you're away and out of my reach? Can I trust you in this line?"

"Yes, sir," Anna replied, and she sobbed against her father's shoulder as they hugged. "I love you so much, daddy — how will I do this without you?" Anna asked tearfully.

"It's always hardest the first year," he said with a pause, "for both the children and their parents. But… you'll do fine," he said, smiling down at her as he kissed her on the cheek. He walked back to the middle of the room and turned to face the line once more. His expression became stern.

"I should warn you all, if you break my trust — you will regret it." He scowled in the direction of Tencha and Dowla. "And I will be most vigilant in making sure you keep to your part of this bargain. If you break this trust and dishonor yourself — you dishonor our family," he said glaringly, "you dishonor the memory of those around you," he said, motioning to the imagines in the portraits watching them, all of which were nodding in agreement. "And you will have dishonored me!

"If you break my trust, I will remove you from this line and you will not be returned to it for the rest of the year." Dowla and Tencha swallowed hard. "This means you will remain here with me until you can prove you can be trusted again. While the others return to school, you will become my student, and I can assure you, I will make that remaining year most difficult for you. This is not meant to be a threat, just the validation of a simple truth: With trust comes great responsibility. This is what was expected of me while I was in that line. You should expect nothing less now."

Their father paused, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything important. "You must also remember that magic is not allowed outside the estate grounds until you are aboard ship and underway to Castlewood. Underage witches and wizards are not allowed to use magic outside of the school. By special circumstances, you are allowed to use magic here in our home only because of the work I do for the Ministry. Don't forget… these are privileges extended to me, which I pass on to you while you are here. Don't abuse these privileges while out of my reach."

He looked down the line again at each of them. "I'm very proud of you, and grant you permission to leave our family home and venture out. Go out there and show the world what you've got." Then he tilted his head down to glare at them from under his darkened brow, his face splitting into an evil grin. "Show them what a Grayson can bring to the party!" The Grayson children giggled maliciously at each other. Their father then lifted his head and smiled brightly. "Good luck — work hard — and return safe. I'll see you all over the Christmas holiday." And then, after a difficult silence, he finished. "We're done here — you're dismissed!" And with that, the children walked forward to their father and hugged him as a group. "I will miss you all very, very much. I love you," he said, kissing each of them on the head with tears welling in his eyes.

"Get going now — your trunks have been loaded and your drivers are waiting. You'd better head outside." One by one, each of the children hugged their father and then headed for the entranceway and out the front door.

"Anna — I'd like to speak with you for a moment, please," Mister Grayson said, placing his arm around Anna's shoulder. "Tencha, would you tell the driver she'll be along in five minutes?"

"Okay… goodbye, daddy," said Tencha with a wave, before turning to walk down the stone steps outside and toward the two parked cars waiting in the driveway.

"Follow me," Mister Grayson said to Anna, as he turned to walk down the staircase toward the basement. Anna followed her father to the bottom of the stairway and down the long hall of portraits to the entrance of his Ministry office. Before he opened the door, he turned to face her again.

"I have a surprise for you — close your eyes," he said with an anticipative grin.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Anna replied, in a surprised tone.

"Never mind… cover your eyes and take my hand," he said mysteriously. Anna did as she was told and covered her eyes and took her father's hand. "No peeking now!" he ordered, as he opened his office door. Anna could feel her father pulling her along a few steps inside and finally stopped somewhere in the middle of the room. He released her hand, and then turned her shoulders to redirect her orientation. "Okay, you can look now," he whispered softly. Anna removed her hand and opened her eyes. She looked up and gasped. There, hanging on the wall above her father's chair, was a life size painting of a stunning woman with long red hair in a pink dress. Anna was so shocked by the woman's immense beauty she didn't even think who it was staring out into the room from the golden frame. Her father leaned over and whispered into her ear, "It's… your mother, Anna," he said reverently. "It's my Victoria."

And so it was. The image of Victoria Grayson was almost regal and certainly breathtaking. She was portrayed in a standing position holding a single rose. Her eyes were as blue as sapphires, and her skin was clear and perfect. She was young, vibrant, and carried a slight disarming smile in her pose. If a picture could tell the story of grace and beauty, this one could testify to these qualities, together with elegance, sophistication, and self-confidence. Victoria was all of these things and more. The image began to blur around its edges and Anna impulsively raised her hand to wipe her eyes, only to find her own tears streaming down her face. She looked at her father, who was still staring up at the portrait with a strange and unfamiliar smile.

"She's so beautiful," Anna said in awe.

"Yes — I told you so, didn't I?"

"But I thought you said she wouldn't pose for a portrait," Anna said, walking up to the frame to get a better look.

"No — she wouldn't. I had to have it done from a photograph," he replied. "I'm very glad you talked me into bringing it out of storage. I realized that, with you leaving and going off to school, I needed to see her more than ever."

Anna was speechless and in tears. The image of her mother was having an unexpected effect on her. It was a longing to know her, to be near her. Her reaction to the portrait was overwhelming, and Anna couldn't help the intense feeling of grief that was now moving to engulf her. The knowledge that the woman Anna was seeing for the first time in her life was dead struck painfully deep in her chest. She looked at her father, but before she could reach out to him, he had already crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. Anna cried desperately.

"It's all right, sweetheart," he said mournfully. "Now you know why I couldn't do this for so long. Your mother was an amazing woman; I miss her very much, even after all of these years." There was another long pause while the two held each other, gazing lovingly up at the painting.

"I have something else for you," he said brightly, as Anna wiped away the tears from her cheeks.

"Now what? You know you're going to send me away a complete mess," she said with a groan. Mister Grayson smiled and turned to walk over to another table where two boxes sat next to a book. He picked up the book and handled it to Anna. Anna opened the front cover to find a photograph. She gasped again. It was an exact copy of the painting.

"Now we both can remember her in the same way," Mister Grayson said lovingly. Anna hugged her father again. She turned the page to find photo after photo of Victoria Grayson with her father, with the other Grayson children, hugging Widwick. Mister Grayson reached in to close the book in her hands. "If we go through these pictures now, you'll miss your ship. We can share them again over Christmas."

He turned again and picked up a large wooden box from the desk and handed it to Anna. She opened the heavily carved lid on the box, which squeaked slightly as it was lifted. Within the box, sitting in beautifully crushed, blue velvet, was the gem-encrusted kaleidoscope. Anna, suddenly short of breath, looked up at her father's display cabinet to find the scope missing from its normal spot behind the glass.

"Your grandmother would have wanted you to have it, and I know you will appreciate it the most," he said, with a bright smile.

"Oh daddy, are you sure? No… I couldn't take this. It belonged to your mother."

"Well… actually… it belonged to Victoria's mother, Mary Jennings."

Anna's jaw dropped. She looked down at the kaleidoscope again with renewed wonder. "I don't know what to say," she said gratefully.

Her father stiffened. "You could say _thank you_, my dear," he replied in a very gruff manner.

"Oh… thank you. Thank you — thank you — thank you," she said, hugging him again. "I'll cherish it forever!"

"I know you will, and that's why I wanted you to have it.

"I have one more thing for you," he said, turning to pick up a thin wooden box from the table. Anna set the kaleidoscope down and opened the box. It was the purple heart wand. Anna frowned and looked up at her father. "Well… every witch needs a proper wand, lamebrain!" he said mockingly, and in a very bad imitation of Eric's voice. Anna laughed and looked down at the wand again, running her finger across its smooth purple finish.

Her father leaned in again. "It was Victoria's wand, Anna; it belonged to your mother," he said softly. "You'll need it for school — and it's rightfully yours." This was too much. Anna broke down in tears once again, leaning against her father, and holding the wand close to her chest. Her mother's wand; Anna couldn't believe it. There was a knock at the door and Mrs. McConnell walked in.

"Excuse me, Mister Grayson — but the drivers are getting impatient. Anna needs to go if they're gonna' board the ship on time," she said with a look of concern.

"Yes — quite right Meredith — all my fault — thank you. Come on, sweetheart, you have to go."

Anna gathered up her gifts and followed her father to the door. As she passed Mrs. McConnell, she noticed her father's secretary looking behind her. Anna turned and saw she was staring up at the portrait of her mother behind the desk. Anna looked back at Mrs. McConnell again and found a sparkle of tears growing in the woman's eyes.

"Yer mother was quite beautiful. I had almost forgotten… she…" but she stopped short. "Good luck at school, dear," she said, with a look of pride on her smiling face. Anna quickly hugged her. "Oh… come-come now child… move, along. You'll do fine, I'll warrant it," she said lovingly.

"Goodbye Meredith — I'm going to miss you all so much." Mrs. McConnell straightened and pursed her trembling lips. Tilting her head to the side, she nodded in agreement. Anna glanced back one last time at the portrait and then ran down the hall to catch up with her father.

Within minutes, Anna's things were packed in the trunk of the car with the rest of her belongings, and she was climbing into the backseat with Eric. As the cars pulled away, Anna and Eric looked out the back window to see their father, Widwick, Gabby and Mrs. McConnell waving them out of sight.

"You know, Eric… we have the greatest father in the entire Wizarding world," Anna said, longingly.

"I think so," he replied quickly. Eric looked over at Anna and could see she had been crying. "Yes, he's a very good man. We owe it to him to do our very best this year. Are you up for that challenge, Anna Grayson?" he asked, deliberately adding a sense of contest to his voice. As the car passed through the gates of the estate, Anna was still looking back as they closed behind them. She could see the horses on the iron bars were still running. Anna turned to face the front and smiled.

"Yes, I am," she said with determination. "I'm ready for anything now!"

126


	13. The BB5

Chapter 13d120— The BB5

Chapter 13

The BB5

ONE

As the cars drove along, Anna opened the photo album given to her by her father. The portrait of Victoria Grayson stared back at her from its place in the front. As she turned the thick pages, Anna could see the photographs moving and the people in the pictures laughing and waving back at her. Her father looked so happy back then, almost carefree in those days.

All of the Grayson children were very small; the four of them just babies, really. How could her mother take on so much responsibility when she married her father? Anna thought Victoria must have loved him very much. Anna finally reached the back page of the album, and there, sitting in a golden frame, was the last picture of her mother. Obviously very pregnant with Anna at the time; _this was how she looked just before the accident_, Anna assumed; _just before her death_.

She noticed something quite different about this photograph compared to the rest. Anna couldn't put her finger on it, but it seemed as though her mother looked pale and very worried. It might have been easy to conclude her appearance was due to the late condition in her pregnancy, but, for some reason, Anna didn't think so. Victoria almost looked emotionally trodden and unhappy; as if she knew her future was already written in the stars, bleak and dark. Within a few weeks after this picture was taken she would be dead, leaving Anna to be raised by her widowed father.

"What are you looking at there?" asked Eric, glancing down over her shoulder at the book of pictures sitting on his sister's lap.

"It's a photo album of my mother. Daddy gave it to me as a going-away present," Anna replied. She wasn't sure she wanted to share this moment with her brother.

"Really? Victoria Grayson? Can I see? I can't even remember what she looked like." Anna cautiously slid the book over to her brother's lap, and then flipped the pages back to the portrait in the front.

"Wow! You look a lot like her. I mean… the hair, the skin color, and the face… it's a little eerie," he said, looking up at Anna with an exaggerated look of wonder. Anna smiled, as if she'd been given the nicest compliment, and all of her reluctance to share immediately evaporated.

"You really think so?" she asked, leaning in close to look at the portrait again.

"Absolutely," Eric said, turning the page. "And wow… look at these pictures of us kids. Damon actually looks kind of cute and innocent… I wonder what ever happened to him?" he said with a smirk, and Anna giggled.

"Do you remember anything about my mother?" Anna asked him hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. I was only three years old in most of these photos," he replied, still staring at the remaining pages. Looking up, he could see the disappointment in Anna's face. He tried to think of something to cheer her up.

"There was one thing I remember."

Anna brightened quickly. "What?" What do you remember?"

"Well… I was very small, mind you, so don't hold me to any details, but I remember when I went to bed, Victoria would to come into my room before I went to sleep. She used to tuck me in and kiss me on the forehead." Anna smiled happily, looking down again at her mother's portrait. But when she looked up again, she could see Eric staring away as if in a trance.

"Well… that was nice… wasn't it?" she said, as if trying to convince her brother of something rather obvious. Eric didn't respond. Still staring out the window behind her, his eyes seemed to be focused on some distant memory. "Eric…? What's the matter?"

Her brother was startled, and then looked at Anna in surprise. "What? Oh, yeah… sorry. It's just that… I haven't thought about this for a long time. I was remembering something that happened one night when I was a child… something really weird."

Anna frowned. "Weird? What do you mean?"

"Something very strange. Wow… it's been so long now; it seems more like a dream after all these years."

"What was it? What was strange?"

Eric looked uncomfortable, but continued nonetheless. "I remember it because it was the night after my fourth birthday party in November. It was very late, and I was still playing with the little toy dragon father had carved for me when I heard Victoria coming down the hall. I didn't want to get into trouble for being up so late, so I rolled over to face the wall and acted like I was asleep." Eric paused again and frowned. "This time somebody was with her… another woman." He stopped again, as if trying hard to remember.

"Somebody from the party? Was it a relative?" asked Anna, trying to push him along.

"No… it wasn't anybody I'd ever heard before, but they came in together and were whispering to each other. The other woman's voice was… very high… almost shrill," he said. His eyes were beginning to glaze from his strained focus. "I remember being very frightened. Too scared to open my eyes and look at who it was that sounded… so… terrible." His eyes suddenly widened.

"Terrible? Eric, what do you mean?" Anna asked, now turning to face her brother squarely in her seat.

"I mean dreadful… she sounded almost…like…a demon… very penetrating, almost cackling. I remember her voice hurting my ears as she spoke."

"What did they say to each other?"

"Well… as they came into my room — I heard Victoria say:"

"_Not in here… my son is in here."_

"_Your brat is asleep; we must know the answer tonight!"_

"_Let's do it in my room."_

"_Your dim-witted husband is in there — do it here! Ask the question… do it now!"_

Anna frowned. "She said that… about daddy?" Eric nodded, still speaking as if from a dream.

"_Not here — what if Eric were to wake up? Let's go downstairs — maybe Boris's office."_

"_No — you stupid girl. The portraits are everywhere; this is the only room where it can be done without our being caught. Ask the question… we must know where he is. Ask, ask it now!"_

"_We can ask tomorrow night… maybe in the woods outside. But not in here… not near my children… please."_

"_Do it now! Now, I say! We must have the answer tonight!"_

"I remember hearing Victoria sobbing as she walked over to my bed to make sure I was asleep," Eric explained sorrowfully; he shook his head. "I'll never forget that voice, swearing at your mother about wasting so much time." Anna gasped, leaning away from Eric in her seat.

"I suppose they were convinced I was asleep, because the next thing I knew, the two of them were setting something up on my dresser. A few seconds later, I began to see flashing lights in the room behind me."

"Flashing lights?" interrupted Anna, sounding confused. "Flashing from…what?"

"No idea," Eric answered. "I was scared to death, and I wasn't going to open my eyes and find some hideous face staring down at me. I could see the flashes of bright white light even though my eyes were closed."

"So… What did they do next?"

"Once the flashing started, I heard your mom start muttering something. It sounded like a spell… I think; maybe a charm. I don't remember now. Anyway, the other woman started screeching at Victoria again."

"_Ask! Ask the question… you silly girl. We must know where he's gone. Ask now!"_

"Who were they looking for?" asked Anna.

"That's the thing — I don't have a clue. But your mom began to ask where this person was, and another voice started speaking to the two of them. It was a strange — deep voice this time, almost like a growl. He said the person they were seeking was lost in the woods."

"Somebody was lost in the woods? Where? You mean the woods around the house?" Anna asked quickly.

"Yeah — I think so. This voice told them they would find him in the woods," Eric replied. "But then I could hear father's voice calling from the hallway."

"_Victoria?"_

"_Quick — shut it off. Boris is coming."_

"_No! You damn, foolish, stupid girl… ask it again. We don't know where he is yet. We have to know. Ask again… now!"_

"_Stop it — we have to stop. He's coming — my husband is coming."_

"_No! No! ASK AGAIN. ASK IT AGAIN, you stupid filthy…"_

"I heard your mom move to the dresser and started fumbling with whatever it was they had set up. The flashing light stopped just before the door opened.

"_Victoria? Are you in here? What are you doing, sweetheart? I heard voices?"_

"_No…it's just me. I was checking to make sure Eric was asleep. The little man had a big day today."_

"_Yes… you spoiled him so…as usual. You know you went overboard again."_

"_Oh, I don't mind, Boris. He's such a good boy, and everybody had a great time. The children were so happy."_

"_Yes, it was a wonderful day, my dear… and all because of you. How are you feeling? You know you shouldn't be working so hard in your condition. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself now."_

"_Typical husband. It's all your fault that we're in this condition, and then you fawn over us once we get this way."_

"_Guilty as charged, Mrs. Grayson, but it's only because I love you. I'm going to bed… please come with me."_

"And they closed the door and left my room together," Eric finished.

"But… What about the other woman? Didn't daddy see her in the room?" asked Anna in surprise.

"Apparently not, and that's the really weird thing. I thought the other woman must have been hiding when father came in. I remembered being scared to death at being left alone with her. I must have laid there acting like I was asleep, too terrified to move, for over an hour, listening for her to leave, but I never heard another sound. Finally, I gathered the courage to open my eyes and sit up. There wasn't anybody in my room; she wasn't there."

"But… where did she go?"

"I don't know. I couldn't figure it out… I still don't know how she was able to do it. I mean, father never saw her, and she didn't leave after they left my room. You can't Disapparate in or out of the house. I don't have a clue where she went. I do remember something else, though. I looked over and saw some kind of weird contraption sitting on my dresser. It was too dark to really see it properly, and I was too afraid to get out of bed to look at it. I was scared the old hag might still be hiding under my bed. In the morning, when I woke up, the thing on my dresser was gone. Somebody had removed it."

"And did you ever hear or see this woman again?"

"Nope… that was the only time. The next morning, I asked father if anybody had spent the night with us after the party, and he said no. I remember it wasn't very long afterward that Victoria died, and everything kind of went crazy in the house; you were born; Victoria was dead. The whole house was… well, you can imagine; it was bedlam. Whatever happened that night in my room wasn't nearly as important as living through the madness of the moment. And after things started to settle down again, father wouldn't speak of Victoria at all, so I just forgot about it. I never told anyone about that night until now."

Anna thought about Eric's story during their long drive down the coast. The sea was shimmering below them as the cars wound their way around the cliff road. _Who was the woman that entered Eric's room that night with her mother?_ More importantly, Anna wondered if her father knew anything about her. _And what were they doing? Who were they looking for? And why would her mother allow herself to be treated in such a horrible way by this person? Worse yet, why would Victoria allow this woman to speak ill of her father in the way Eric had described?_

They sat silently together for the rest of the trip, Eric occasionally pointing out the various sights of interest around them as they traveled down the road. As they got closer to their final destination, Eric began giving Anna instructions.

"Now Anna, when we get down to the docks, just stick close to me, okay? After waiting this long to finally travel to Castlewood, I wouldn't want you to get lost while in route," he said jokingly.

"Okay," Anna agreed. Then, thinking of their final destination, she asked, "Listen, I know we have to get on a ship and sail to Castlewood, but how exactly does that work? I mean, there has to be a lot of magic involved if we're going to travel three thousand miles by ship into the middle of Pennsylvania."

"Well, there is a lot of magic involved, but…" Eric hesitated, "the thing is — it's kind of hard to pin down exactly when and where the magic really takes place." He could see Anna didn't understand. "It's rather hard to explain, but I'll tell you what I know. When we get to the marina, we'll meet up with another wizarding family, the MacKineys, and we'll all board a small, chartered boat together, which is scheduled to depart at noon. We'll travel out to sea for a couple of hours, and probably rendezvous with a few other boats out of Los Angeles along the way. Eventually, we'll arrive at a small island and travel to a place called Loon's Lagoon. It's there that we'll disembark and stow our gear aboard the Allegheny Pride."

"The what?"

"Oh — that's the tall sailing ship that'll take us on to Castlewood," Eric explained.

"So… this ship is waiting for us at this island?"

"Uhmm, well, not exactly," Eric said with a frown. "Once we go through the falls, I'm not quite sure where we end up."

"The falls?"

"Yes, the falls of Loon's Lagoon act like a barrier between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. When we get through to the other side, we'll see a number of other boats from all over the country arriving just like us. Once we get on the ship, it'll only be another few hours to the school." Although Eric tried his best to tell her what was going to happen, Anna quickly realized their trip to Castlewood was something that had to be experienced rather than explained.

Before long, the cars were driving down a steep hill, and Anna could see a small set of docks coming into view below them along the oceanfront. A few tiny sailboats were moving out to sea, and Anna could see several Muggle fishermen carrying their long poles along the water's edge. She could smell the heavy scent of fish coming up the hill as they finally parked on a graveled lot near the docks. As the drivers unloaded their trunks, the Graysons headed down a wooden footpath toward the marina, and soon they were standing to the side of a small undistinguished boat, bobbing precariously alone in an abandoned area of the docks. Anna smiled as she read the boat's name in chipped paint on its tail.

_**Better than a Broom - 5**_

"Ahoy there, Eric!" shouted a burly man standing on the deck of the boat. The bearded man was wearing a blackened stained tee shirt and a captain's cap atop a bald head.

"Ahoy, Captain! Permission to come aboard, sir!" Eric requested.

"Permission granted, Mister Grayson! How's your father these days?" asked the captain as he shook Eric's hand. "Oops — be careful there, miss," he said, as he helped the Grayson twins individually across the gap between the dock and the boat.

"Very well, sir. He told me to give you this together with his fond regards." Eric handed the man a brown paper bag wrapped unmistakably around a long necked bottle. The captain smiled.

"Ahhh, your father's a good man, Eric. Knows what it takes to keep a sailor's heart warm on these cold salty nights," he said, looking into the bag with an anticipative grin.

"Well hello there, miss, and who might you be?" the captain said, helping Anna onto the boat.

"Hello," Anna replied with a smile, holding on to the captain's hand to shake it properly after stepping aboard. "Thank you. I'm Anna Grayson."

"As I live and breathe!" the Captain said, beaming. "The youngest Grayson is finally on her way to Castlewood? Well, bless my soul. Welcome, Miss Anna. Welcome aboard the BB5!"

"Anna, this is Captain Reye," Eric said pleasantly, patting the muscled old man on the shoulder.

"An old friend of your father's," the captain interjected. "I took young Boris on his first trip to Castlewood years ago. And your Grandpa Tarson and I were shipmates at the academy together. Ahh… those were the days!"

Anna liked Captain Reye. He was jovial and friendly, and very direct, something Anna remembered the twins saying they hated about him. As usual, Anna found their opinion of people dramatically different than her own.

After the MacKinsey family had joined them, the boat taxied out of the marina and headed out to sea. Anna still found it hard to believe it was finally happening. Every moment that passed seemed to bring with it a renewed sensation of wonder and excitement.

Within an hour another boat, very much like the BB5, motored in next to them.

"Ahoy, BB3!" yelled Captain Reye over the water to the boat next to them.

"Ahoy, Angus!" came the reply. "You old, salty dog. How are you, Captain?"

"Very well, sir — and you?"

"Couldn't be better, but it sounds like your boat is due for an overhaul, Captain. Are you sure it's going to survive this trip? Should I stand by with a tow rope and a wand?"

Reye was taken aback. "Excuse me? This boat's as fit as a teenager on a date with twins. Unlike that bucket of bolts and Spello Tape you're driving, I won't be using charms to keep us afloat, hah!"

"Uh-oh," Dowla groaned, glancing at Tencha with a frightened look on her face. "Eric, you'd better make them stop before…" but it was too late. Before she could finish her sentence, the captain of the BB3 was already shouting back across the water between them.

"WHAT? Why you old coot! I'll show you what a real boat can do when properly cared for," and Anna could hear the BB3's engines rev forward as the boat along their side began to speed ahead of them.

"Not today, sonny boy… not today!" shouted Captain Reye in response, and he too pushed the throttle to the fore. The boat lurched forward as it began to gather speed.

"Eric! Make him stop," Tencha shouted, and Anna could see Dowla already beginning to turn green in the face as their boat started to viciously slam up and down.

"I'll put a stop to this stupidity," Damon shouted, pulling his wand from his robes.

"Oh no you won't," Eric retorted, grabbing Damon by the wrist. "Have you so quickly forgotten our father's speech about the use of magic? Just hold on and enjoy the ride!" Eric yelled back. The twins and the MacKinsey girls began to groan over the roaring engines behind them.

"Anna, you'd better grab onto something or you might…" but Eric stopped when he found Anna nowhere in sight. Panicking, he looked up to find her standing against the forward nose-rail with her arms outstretched. She was leaning forward, and screaming in exuberant delight.

"Yaaaahhhhhhhhhoooooooooo!" Anna squealed, as the boat bounced and crashed up and down again and again, continually gathering more speed. Eric started laughing as he watched Anna barking orders to the captain, pointing at the other boat in front of them.

"Turn there! There! Yes… now… go — go — go!" she screamed, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Hah! We've got them now, Miss Anna. We've got them now! You've got salt water in your veins, girlie. I'm gonna make you this boat's new first mate!" shouted the captain, gesturing rudely with amused satisfaction at he BB3's captain as they passed the other boat, which slowly began to fall out of sight behind them. The only thing more amusing to Eric than seeing Anna clapping and cheering, was watching Damon loose his balance and hurtle headlong into the boat's stern, crashing into their trunks piled in the back.

TWO

An hour later, the boats were slowing as a very remote looking island suddenly fell into view. A few more little white boats were waiting there, each moving in single file into what looked like a private cove.

"Still feeding the fish, ladies?" woofed Captain Reye at the twins. Tencha and Dowla had spent the rest of the trip with their heads over the side of the railing. The captain chuckled as the girls moaned miserably, while Damon sat rubbing a large welt on the top of his head. Eric joined Anna at the front of the boat.

"Welcome to Loon's Lagoon, Anna," he said. "The falls are just ahead." As the boat made its final turn, Anna could see a short but very wide waterfall coming into view through the thick and rainy mist. As their boat approached the tumbling water, Anna realized the captain had no intention of slowing down or stopping. They continued, on course, straight toward the falling water.

"We're going to be sunk!" Anna yelled, as the boat plunged headlong into the wall of water. Eric laughed as Anna grabbed him by the robes and buried her face into his chest. The water never touched them. As Anna peered up, she could see they had entered a darkening cave behind the falls. Looking back, she could see the falling water covering the entrance to the cave entirely.

"But… we never got wet," Anna said in amazement.

As the boat continued deeper into the cave the temperature dropped steadily. Anna strained to see through the darkening gloom expectantly while her breath began to fog around her head, and the boat quietly slipped into an area of complete darkness.

"How does he know his way through this? How does the captain know where he's going?" Anna asked, in guarded wonder. She could hear her own voice echoing through the many twisting caves around them, as the two boats steadily rumbled forward.

"Ssshhh!" Eric replied. "Now watch; you're not gonna want to miss this. You're going to remember the next scene for the rest of your life."

Anna looked up as the wet mist began to appear like a graying haze through the darkness around them. The cavern began to steadily brighten, and Anna finally released her brother's arm and walked forward again to the bow railing. And then, quite unexpectedly, a bright light broke through the cold mist, and Anna had to shield her eyes from the glaring sun blazing into the cave. As the mist began to clear, Anna was astonished to find their boat exiting the cave and entering a very large and circular harbor. She could see dozens of small boats, exactly like the BB5, motoring forward toward a far off dock after each had exited one of the many caves in a crescent shaped cliff behind them. And there, standing tall and bright in the late afternoon sun was the massive sailing ship, the Allegheny Pride.

Living close to the ocean, Anna had seen many large ships beyond the Grayson cliffs, but nothing like this. Even from this distance away, Anna could see the ship was undoubtedly huge. It had five large masts sitting atop a heavy steel hull, and what looked like miles of rope stretching her riggings forward and aft. She could see several men, looking like so many tiny ants, moving about on its high deck.

As the flotilla of small boats carrying hundreds of students from all over the country motored forward, every soon-to-be first-year was pointing with excitement at finally arriving at this amazing place. One by one, each boat made its way slowly to an open dock, where a number of sailors, clad in white, tied them securely to old posts protruding out of the water. Finally, the Graysons were unloading their trunks.

"Nice seeing your family again, Eric," said Captain Reye, grinning broadly. Tencha and Dowla were still moaning as they stepped off the boat, glaring angrily back at him. The captain frowned. "I hope the trip wasn't too rough on the women," he whispered woefully. Eric gave an unconcerned shrug as Anna soared down from the BB5's deck. She hit the wooden dock with a loud bang, and then hugged the captain rowdily.

"Wow! What a ride. I hope you'll be picking us up on the trip back, Captain," Anna said gaily. The captain's concerns faded quickly at seeing Anna's happy face.

"Miss Anna, I wouldn't miss picking you up for all the gold in _Davie Jones'_ locker," he said, grinning back. He pushed her back straight, doffed his cap, and shoved it roughly onto her head. "There now… it's official. You're my new first mate!" Anna stood erect, smiling with pride.

"Your orders, sir?" she said, brightly.

"Well…it's like this, you see," he whispered, wrapping his arm around Anna's shoulder, and directing her toward the tall sailing ship. "I've loaned you out to the crew of the Allegheny Pride… see. Your job will be to travel on to Castlewood, study hard… and make your daddy proud." Anna stopped and turned to face the BB5's captain. She saluted.

"Aye-aye, Captain," she replied, shaking the man's roughened, calloused hand and handing his hat back to him. "Keep those motors running, sir!" she chirped, before turning away to march down the dock. The captain smiled as he watched her leave before turning to Eric.

"That's quite a sister you've got there, Eric. You're father must be pleased."

"You have no idea, sir. You have no idea." Eric replied, shaking his head.

Just then Damon walked passed them, still holding his throbbing head.

"Better mind that bump there, land-lubber!" chuckled the captain. Damon turned only to sneer back at him.

"Hope he's got a hard head," Reye whispered to Eric.

Eric smiled. "Don't worry… solid granite through and through."

As Anna continued walking toward the great ship, she could see dozens of students massing around the docks below it. The air was extremely hot and humid, and she could see tropical birds of every sort flying overhead and squawking loudly from their dock posts.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," Anna mused, looking around and smiling to herself. "Maybe somewhere in the Caribbean."

"Anna!"

Anna turned to see a pretty blonde-haired girl running toward her across the docks.

"Gwen…? GWEN!" Anna screamed back, running over to meet the other girl, stopping only when the two finally crashed into one another in a tight embrace. "Oh — I can't believe it. It's so great to see you!" Anna cried.

Gwendolyn Reese was one of Anna's oldest and dearest friends. They had lived very close to one another near the Grayson estate, and even went to school together before Gwen entered Castlewood two years ago. Since Gwen was an only child, her family decided to move to Pennsylvania to be nearer to their daughter. Although they tried to keep in touch by owl, the years apart had been hard on their friendship. After a while, Anna only heard from Gwen through her brother Eric when he came home for the holidays and summer break.

"What are you doing here?" asked Gwen, still surprised at seeing her old friend standing in the crescent harbor. "Are you seeing your family off?"

"Ohhh… it's better than that, Gwen," Eric interrupted, wrapping one arm tightly around Anna's shoulder. "This year, Anna is traveling to Castlewood with us," he said, beaming.

Gwen looked shocked. "What? But…How? Why?" Anna smiled coyly, trying to think of a way to quickly tell her friend everything that had recently happened at the Grayson estate.

Eric, seeing his sister laboring to find the right words, interrupted once more. "Let me put it to you this way… _Hokus-pokus, Gwen-head-o-rock, guess who's the newest witch on the dock_?" He pressed his face into the side of Anna's cheek, his eyes darting toward his sister as if to give Gwen a hint.

Gwen's face went slack; her jaw dropped. "Anna! You? You're… a witch?"

Anna's eyes gleamed. "So they say."

"Oh…my gosh!" And Gwen screamed so loudly, everybody on the dock stopped what they were doing to look up at them. Her arms flew open and around Anna's neck as she jumped up and down in giddy delight. Anna, although very happy to see her long lost friend, was choked by Gwen's enthusiasm.

"I can't believe it!" Gwen said, pulling away with tears brewing in her eyes. "We're going to be together all year? Oh, this is incredible! Anna, I can't wait to show you around Castlewood. You're going to have such a great time this year. Mind you — it's very tough…" and for the next two minutes, Gwen went on a rampage of fragmented comments and sentences. Rattling on and on, her voice was a whirlwind of reports and suggestions. As Gwen began planning Anna's entire schedule for her first month at Castlewood, Eric finally spoke.

"Well… it seems the two of you have a lot of catching up to do. I'll leave you to it, then," he said happily, before turning to walk back toward the BB5. Gwen was finally quiet as she watched Eric moving away.

"Mmmmmm… oh Anna, I must say, that brother of yours is _soooo_ gorgeous!" She looked back at Anna and grinned evilly. "He doesn't know it yet, of course, but I'll be having our children in a few years." Anna was struck dumb for an instant… and then burst out laughing. "What?" Gwen said, frowning. "I'm serious, Anna; you know I've always had a thing for Eric. Tall, tan, and so very handsome… oooooh, and now with you in my corner again…"

Anna smiled and then hugged her friend. "I've missed you so much, Gwen. It's wonderful seeing you again."

"You too, Annie G. This is unbelievable. Heckle and Jeckle riding onward again!" She sang out, pumping her fists in the air.

Anna put her arm around her friend's shoulder and redirected them toward the ship. "So… what's a witch gotta to do to get aboard this tub?" Gwen didn't reply. She was still looking longingly over her shoulder toward Eric, who was talking to the BB5's captain. She sighed dreamily.

"Will you come on?" Anna said, laughing and yanking Gwen forward again.

"Huh? Oh — sorry. Listen… Anna, there has to be something wrong with Eric. He can't be as perfect as he seems. You have to give me something bad to consider or I won't get anything done this year. So what is it? He… he hates kids! Yeah, that's it, isn't it? Or… he's some kind of compulsive neat freak. Maybe he picks his nose when he thinks nobody is looking."

"Yuck!" Anna flinched, with appalled surprise.

"Oh come on… there's got to be something. He's can't possibly be that perfect? There has to be something wrong with him." Anna thought, and then looked over at her brother, who was now directing the docks men toward the Grayson trunks.

Considering everything she knew about Eric, she turned to Gwen and smiled. "Nope… sorry; he's every bit as perfect as he seems. If he weren't my brother, I'd marry him myself." Gwen's face broadened merrily, her eyes full of future hope.

"But…if it'll help, I can set you up with Damon. Now… he has a few faults I could tell you about."

"Eeeeeoooowwww," Gwen hissed, with a soured look moving across her face. "No way! I refuse to marry any man without a chin!" The two girls exploded into laughter once again as they walked down the dock and toward the ship.

"So, I want you to tell me everything. What happened to get you here today?" Gwen asked excitedly. "This has to be an unbelievable story — don't leave anything out!"

As Anna began to explain, several nets full of trunks and barrels were hoisted high into the air around them. Men in formal white uniforms were barking and yelling as hustling workers dashed about, seeing to the many details necessary for getting the great ship underway.

A few minutes later, hoards of students were slowly walking up the narrow gangway as they began boarding the Allegheny Pride. Many of the students were already wearing their Castlewood robes, and it was then that Anna started to believe her trip to the Academy was really happening.

Wearing robes of black, each student had their Union colors proudly displayed on their forearms. Anna knew each of the five Dynasty Unions originally started as a separate school, all specializing in a very specific course of study. There were common classes each of the students had to take to be a fully qualified witch or wizard, but as the students progressed through their curriculum, they were eventually offered specialized classes more suited to their dynasty.

There were the Searchers, those who specialized in the discovery of new potions, magic spells, and charms. The study of Alchemy, magical theory, herbs, fungi, and the use of newly discovered magical substances were an important part of this Union's course of study. Over the thousands of years of wizarding history, many sorcerers began to understand how to utilize the magic around them. Some spent their entire lives researching and documenting the capabilities of magic in all its many forms. In this world of academic study, a school, specializing in the work of discovery, was formed, which eventually moved to Castlewood at its founding and became the Searchers' Union Dynasty.

It was much the same story for the other dynasties as well. There was the Servers' Union; those who specialized in servicing the Wizarding community, which included the doctors, the beast, creature and animal healers, librarians, the religious, and teachers. They were all part of this proud dynasty.

There was the great Labor Union, which included the farmers, formation workers, and tradesmen. The Artisans' Union, which offered its musicians, artists, and gifted seers a place to expand their creative insight. And finally, there was the Defenders' Union. These students specialized in Wizarding law, Ministry service, and authority enforcement.

Each Dynasty had a cherished heritage and a representative color, which was placed on the students' robes as angled stripes or hash marks across the sleeves of their right arms. Each band of color represented a year of the students' study at the academy. First-year students had one hash mark on their arms, while the most senior students at the school carried up to seven stripes. This union color was also placed on the collars of the robes and on their hems at the bottoms. The colors were also proudly displayed in their Union Halls during social gatherings and school events; gold for the Searchers, royal blue for the Servers, emerald green for the Laborers, crimson red for the Defenders and splendid turquoise for the Artisans. Students also wore their dynasty coat of arms on their left breasts.

Like any other first-year student, Anna wondered what Union she would be asked to enter. Initially, she thought about following her father's path, and maybe even work for the ministry. Mister Grayson had been in the Defenders' Union during his time at Castlewood, which he always said helped him immensely in opening many doors during his career. It would be natural to assume Anna would want to join the Defenders herself, but there was a problem. Damon was also a member of the Defender's Union.

Obviously thinking to take advantage of his father's good name, Damon wanted the prestige that came with having a member of his family in a very high position within the Ministry of Magic. He was looking forward to using this leverage to further his own personal career and ambitions. Although Anna dearly wanted to please her father, she was determined to stay as far away from Damon as possible, and found herself secretly hoping against the Defenders' Union.

Maybe the Servers' Union would satisfy her needs. Eric was a member of this Dynasty, and was studying to be a healer to the magical beasts and creatures in the Wizarding world. There was no doubt Anna would love to be in a position in which to help the animals too, but would this choice satisfy her needs? Was the Servers' Union the beginning of her future course in life?

The twins were in the Searchers' Union, studying the in-depth nature of potions and spells. Maybe the academic world, and the excitement of searching the unknown, would become Anna's calling as well.

In the end, it occurred to Anna that she didn't even know how the decision would be made. Was it something she decided on her own, or would the school place her according to its own standards? Would she have to take a test? Like most of the uncertainties that came to her on this trip, Anna decided to let it all unfold before her. There was no use worrying about something she didn't completely understand and couldn't control. She began to trust that her journey would eventually see her placed into one of the five existing Unions best suited to her capabilities. It wouldn't be long, however, before Anna realized just how wrong her assumptions had been.

138


	14. Castlewood Academy

Chapter 14d012 – Castlewood Academy

Chapter 14

Castlewood Academy

Anna and Gwen slowly made their way to the entrance to the long gangway where a shipmate, dressed in white, was checking names on a list.

"So… all of this magic only started happening within the last week?" asked Gwen, who was still listening to Anna's story about unexpectedly becoming a witch. "Weird. That's so strange, and the healers don't know why this has happened to you?"

"Nope. Nobody really understands any of this. I wish I understood it. Damon even seems to think I might turn back into a Muggle again," Anna said, frowning.

"_Pwau!"_ Gwen spat. "Since when has Damon been right about anything? But… this ghost, or whatever it is you told me about; do you think it'll visit you at Castlewood? Do you think it'll follow you here?"

Anna sighed. She had told Gwen almost everything she had experienced while at home. Everything, that is, apart from the Lethifold. Perhaps it was out of fear that she didn't mention the creature to her friend. Fear of what Gwen might think about her. Or maybe it was the fear that came with trying to explain why she decided to bring the creature with her to the school.

"I really don't know if the thing will show up again or not," Anna said in reply to Gwen's question, and to the question in her own mind as well. "I'm kind of hoping it'll just lose me in the crowd."

"Name please!"

"Gwendolyn Reese," Gwen told the man with the clipboard in his hand.

"Reese… Reese… Reese," the man mumbled, running his finger down his list of names. "Here it is — Artisan Union — third-year, right! Welcome aboard, miss," he said with a tip of his cap.

"Name?" barked the man, looking at Anna this time.

"Anna Grayson, of California," Anna replied. She caught herself holding her breath, as if believing she might still be sent home. The man looked down his list and found Anna's name. He frowned.

"It says here… you're a first-year, no assigned union hall as of yet. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's correct. First-year student at Castlewood," Anna replied, nervously.

"You… look a little old for a first-year," the sailor said, looking suspiciously at her.

"Oh… thank you," Anna replied, hoping not to have to explain. The sailor frowned at Anna again, and then looked down at his list. Flipping the parchment over to the front, he straightened.

"Right… okay, then. Head up the ramp and then turn right. All the first-year students are meeting at the stern of the ship. You'll receive further instructions there. Good day, miss, and welcome aboard." He tipped his hat and motioned her up the ramp. Anna smiled as she bounced up the wooden gangway toward Gwen waiting for her at the top.

"Geeze-Louise! Why does everything have to be so complicated with you, girlfriend?" Gwen said with a chuckle. "I mean…you can't even get on the ship without the third degree?"

Anna hopped down onto the deck. "Hey — can I help it if the guy wanted _your_ phone number?"

Gwen frowned, and then looked down the gangway at the back of the man with the clipboard. "Hmm… always liked a man in uniform," she said, looking back at Anna and bouncing her eyebrows.

Anna gave her friend a shove. "You're unbelievable!" she said, with a snort.

"Come on," Gwen giggled. "I'll walk you back. We'd better put our robes on."

As the girls made their way to the rear of the ship, Anna could see some of the students already separating themselves into their Dynasty groups. Her brother Eric, who was now wearing his Servers' Union colors, was speaking to another small group of seventh-year students displayed impressively in royal blue and black robes. Eric winked at Anna as she walked by.

"So… have any idea what dynasty you might land in?" asked Gwen, who was shoving an arm into her black and turquoise robes.

"No idea. How will we find out?"

"Oh… I guess I figured, with so many brothers and sisters, somebody would have explained it to you. Well… they make you walk through this huge mirror, see, and while you're inside the mirror, these voices start talking to you. They'll ask you a bunch of silly questions about your life and ambitions…" Gwen said, rolling her eyes boringly; she stopped. She could plainly see Anna struggling to understand. "Oh-well, we'll get to the school soon enough, and then you'll see for yourself. It's simple, really, easier than putting on a pair of shoes. Here we are." The two girls arrived at the back of the ship.

"Listen, I'll check on you after we're underway. I have to send an owl to my parents telling them I made it to the ship in one piece. You know how they worry," Gwen said, rolling her eyes again.

Anna smiled; she did remember. Mr. and Mrs. Reese were extremely nice people, but definitely worried in excess about their only child. Remembering Gwen's family brought a warm and familiar feeling to her heart.

"Besides…" Gwen continued excitedly, "I can't wait to tell them you're here. They're gonna freak!"

As Gwen started to walk away, Anna called out to her. "Gwen!" Her friend turned to look back. "It's really great seeing you again," Anna said, smiling broadly.

Gwen smiled back and nodded. "See you in a bit, Annie G!"

A few minutes later, the ship's crew was dashing about the deck as the gangway was hoisted away, and the ropes from the dock were released and cast out. A single officer was stiffly barking orders at the crew.

"Run up the mizzen and belay the halliard. Let's see some life, there! For God's sake, Smith, button your shirt. There are ladies about."

"Aye, sir!"

"Is the end of that mizzen sheet made fast below?

"Hoist the mainsail and the fore. Put your weight on that halliard gentlemen; it'll bear it.

"And get that sail snug up over there! I won't see it stand out like a board when it gets the wind.

"Belay!"

"Mind your post, there!" yelled another officer to one of his sailors, who was mindlessly talking to a pretty sixth-year girl.

Soon, the large sails started to fill with air, and Anna could hear the ship begin to creak and groan loudly as it moved forward. Slowly at first, the ship soon cleared the docks, and began to gather speed.

"Cast off the mizzen sheet and the driver; let the bow fall off a little; there you are.

"Watch her fill gentlemen. Trim the mainsail and the fore; belay the sheet."

"Aye, Mister Wiggins!"

"Trim the mizzen to the angle and belay.

"Get on deck to windward! Bear away, there.

"Let her have more sheet, Mr. Dotter; yes, mizzen and driver too; run down the wind a bit."

"Here — what are you doing on deck, there? Never mind the tiller; it won't run away. Well, get that mizzen over first… that'll do."

"Aye!"

"Haul in on the sheet. Now look out for the mainsail; give me a touch to the tiller.

"You! Haul in that main sheet! Trim in the spanker sheet and bring the wind on the beam again, mister.

"Luff her up a little and trim in number two flat. That will do; no closer, mind the shake along the luff. Keep her there; luff just full, a little more, a little more; no more."

As soon as the ship cleared the harbor entrance, a gust of wind seemed to come out of nowhere to propel the vessel along, tilting the Allegheny Pride slightly to its side. They were finally underway, and, within minutes, the rest of the ship's sails were unfurled as the small island dropped down into the horizon and then completely out of site. As Anna looked out over the beautiful ocean around her, she could tell the ship was nowhere near her home or the California coastline. The weather seemed immeasurably sultry, and the smell in the air was entirely unfamiliar to her.

"First-years, gather round over here. Over here, please," came a voice from behind her. A tall strapping man was standing on a stepped platform in a white uniform and gold braided hat.

"That's right, gather round us here.

"My name is Commander Wiggins. I am the executive officer on this ship, under the command of Captain Archibald Naughtington. Welcome aboard the WWS Allegheny Pride. I have been asked to give you a brief summary of your activities while aboard ship today, and what you can expect upon our arrival tonight in Spellsburg.

"We will be traveling en route to Pennsylvania for the next two hours. While under sail, you will be allowed the run of the ship, with the only exceptions being that of the helm," he pointed to the ship's deck above them, "and the Captain's quarters below. There are plenty of staterooms on the lower decks if you and other members of your party would like some privacy.

"When walking on the upper decks, we would ask that you travel in pairs. That way, if we lose one of you overboard, you can depend on somebody to sound the alarm. From this point forward, all students will be allowed to practice magic at the discretion of their abilities." There was a thunderous cheer from the crowd as the sparks from several wands suddenly shot into the air.

"Mind the sails with your sparks, if you please, but there will be no flying!" The cheering was immediately replaced with a loud grumble. "Now, now… you can thank your fellow classmates from last year for that new rule. Seems some of them needed to try out their new doors, and got caught in a sudden gale below the horizon. It took most of the day to round them up out of the drink. Needless to say, the Major of Spellsburg and the Chancellor of Castlewood were not happy," complained the officer, bending down toward them with an ugly scowl. He stood straight again.

"During the remainder of this trip, you first-years will have two jobs to do. First — look out for the safety of the other students around you, and second, prepare yourself for the _joining_."

"The what?" asked a pink-faced boy with blonde hair standing next to Anna.

"Oh… sorry," continued Wiggins. "For you newbies out there, the joining is the traditional ceremony that will unite you to one of the Castlewood Unions," explained the officer. "To ensure the best match to the proper union, you must take this time to focus on your future ambitions, and the things that interest you."

"Tommy Moore has an interest in almost every girl on this ship," hollered a boy standing in the back. The boy next to him turned red in the face and gave his friend a shove. The rest of the students started to laugh.

Commander Wiggins smiled. "Well… I believe most of the unions can satisfy your needs on that front," replied the officer with a grin. "But, just to be safe, perhaps we should ask the women onboard to keep a safe distance from our Mr. Moore over there." Everybody laughed again.

"But seriously, now; I cannot emphasize enough the importance of you taking the time to deliberate on your future plans. The _joining_ is a critical event that will place you on a path that could very well affect the rest of your lives. You must take the time during this trip to think about your aspirations. All right?" There was much murmuring in the crowd. "Right then. Any questions?" Wiggins looked around at the sea of faces below him. "Good… enjoy the rest of the trip… that is all." And with a final wave, he stepped down.

Some time later, Anna was standing against the thick wooden railing, overlooking the infinite ocean in front of her. The view was as vast as the choices for her future. What did she want to be? How in the world was she supposed to know? It seemed so unfair to ask her to decide something as important as this right now. Just a few days ago Anna was in a Muggle school, trying to find her way to her new classes, and now she was expected to plan out the rest of her life? She didn't have a clue what she wanted to be or do.

"Hey — Super G," came Gwen's voice behind her. Anna glanced around and immediately noticed how established Gwen looked in the blue-green embroidery on her robes. She looked down at the three hash marks on Gwen's sleeve and then at the single black stripe on her own arm.

"What's the matter, friend?" Gwen asked, frowning. "It's a big ship, but not big enough to get that lost. What are you thinking about?"

Anna smiled, and then turned to lean back against the railing. "Gwen… do you really enjoy playing the piano?" She hadn't heard Gwen playing her music in a while, but Anna knew her friend was very talented.

"Sure — it's great. Why do you ask?"

"I mean… do you really like it? Do you think about it all the time? Is it in your blood? Or… did your parents…"

"No. I honestly… really do love it. Oh, I know I used to complain a lot about it when I didn't want to practice, or when my dad insisted on all those recitals, but when I got to Castlewood and joined the Artisan's Union, they helped me to appreciate what I was trying to do. They made me see that it's more than just placing your hands on the keys and learning the notes. It's something that comes from your soul. I never knew my music would mean so much to me, and now I can't imagine living without it." Anna felt something in her stomach squirm.

"You're lucky. At least you knew what you wanted when you got to the school. I don't have a clue. They want me to think about my future in preparation for the joining," Anna said, pointing at the raised platform from where Wiggins had made his speech. "I don't know what I want."

"Oh stop. You think I knew I wanted to continue playing my music when I arrived? That's rich! I can honestly tell you I was severely disappointed when I was joined to the Artisans."

"What?"

"It's true. I really rebelled. I thought my parents must have somehow contacted the school to ensure I continued my musical training. I actually felt betrayed by the whole process. I wish you had been there in those days, Anna. I could have really used a friend."

There was a silent pause between the two of them before Gwen spoke again. "Anna… I'm really sorry about not writing to you. I knew I should have, and I really did miss you, but… I just didn't know what to say. You were so disappointed at being left behind, and having to go to that Muggle School. What was I suppose to say? _Dear Anna, Castlewood is great — wish you were here_?"

Anna smiled. "I understand. In fact, in the beginning, I'm glad you didn't write. I was pretty upset at the whole world in those days. I probably wouldn't have read your letters anyway."

"Still… I should have…"

"Forget it; I mean it," Anna said, placing her hand on Gwen's cheek. "I'm just glad we're together now, and I'm really grateful you're still my friend." Gwen smiled.

"Thar she blows!" came a bellowing voice high above them. Anna looked up to see a man, perched atop the highest mast on the ship, pointing out to sea.

"Starboard the helm ten degrees, mister!" another voice boomed from behind them. Once again, there was a lot of yelling from the scrambling sailors who were working the many ropes and pulleys around them. The great ship began to creak and groan loudly again as it turned slightly to the left.

"Come on… We're getting close," said Gwen, pulling Anna by the arm toward the front of the ship. They followed the gathering crowd of students pressed against the railings, looking out over the water and pointing toward the far-off horizon.

"Stand right here," Gwen said breathlessly. "Do you see it?" Anna looked out, and to her great surprise, she could see what looked like an immense, greenish storm, growing larger by the second. Great bolts of lightning could be seen flashing within its darkening mass.

"Be ready, Mister Wiggins! Another five degrees starboard… steady on my mark," shouted the Captain, as he watched the raging storm brewing ever bigger through his telescope.

"Aye, sir" replied the first officer, and the ship turned again toward the storm.

"We're not actually going to sail into that, are we?" yelled Anna, over the now howling wind.

"Sure. Don't worry, we'll be fine," Gwen hollered back.

"Mister Wiggins? Be ready, Wiggins…"

"Ready… aye, sir!"

"Steady… now, Mister Wiggins — now!"

"Helm! Hard down! Put the tiller to leeward, hard-a-lee now!"

As the ship approached the ugly, dark storm, the entire horizon seemed to disappear, as if swallowed whole by the billowing beast before them. The ship was rising high into the air and dropping violently down into the waves as the sea around them crashed into their sides. Anna closed her eyes and grasped the railing, expecting a sudden blast of wind to tip them over. She felt the cold, wet air from the storm hit her full in the face, and then everything suddenly went quiet.

"BOO!"

"Aaaahhh!" Anna yelped. Somebody behind her had grabbed her around the waist. It was Eric.

"Ha-ha," sorry about that, sis, but I couldn't resist."

"Eric! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Anna yelled, smacking her brother in the chest. He smiled.

"Welcome to Neptune's Veil," Eric said, motioning to space around them. Anna looked out in wonder to see dark green clouds surrounding them like a thick, billowing blanket of fog. Bright flashes of yellow-green and blue lightning shot through the mist in the far-off distance. There was no wind; the great sails were still and limp above them. Even the water seemed to have disappeared. Anna looked down over the side, and could see the same blue-green flashes of lightning miles below them.

"Where are we?" asked Anna.

"Now that's a very good question, and one without a good answer, I'm afraid," Eric quipped. "The closest thing I've been able to figure is some kind of porthole, but… who knows. It's a secret, much like the actual location of Castlewood itself."

"Can the Muggles see this?"

"Oh sure, but the storm is only conjured for this trip. I've heard tales some Muggles have accidentally sailed into it in the past, but you really have to know what you're doing and have an experienced captain to guide you through it. Otherwise, you might find yourself a thousand miles off course from where you started." Anna looked up at the captain who was pointing the way through the fog with a wand in his outstretched hand, while the sailor next to him tipped the ship's wheel at his instruction.

"They've placed a disillusionment charm on the entire ship, of course, so the Muggles can't see us."

"Wow," Anna whispered. "This is amazing." Eric winked at Gwen.

"Hey Anna, watch this," said Gwen, who proceeded to remove one of her shoes. Raising the shoe over her head, she threw it hard over the railing and out into the green mist.

"What are you doing? You're gonna need that, you know!" Anna said, laughing. Gwen quickly spun around against the rail. Glancing about, she seemed to be scanning the deck of the ship.

Anna grinned. "What are you looking for…?"

"Heads up!" Gwen yelled, as the same shoe dropped out of the clouds high above them and hit the deck with a loud thump.

"What the…?" Anna faded, looking perplexed. Gwen raced across the deck and picked up her shoe. She slid it back onto her foot before turning to face Anna again.

"Cool, huh? I heard there was a fifth-year boy twenty years ago who jumped overboard on a dare. The idiot broke his leg when he hit the deck, of course."

Suddenly, a cool breeze began to blow around them and Eric looked up. He could see the sails beginning to fill again.

"Hold on… here it comes," he said, placing a finger to his lips.

"LAND HO!" shouted the man at the top of the mast.

The ship suddenly dropped down and, with a mighty slap, the keel splashed down upon the water once again. The students erupted into cheering applause as the dark clouds around them started to clear. A tree-lined shore slowly came into view on either side of the ship. They were traveling on what looked like a river in the middle of a dense forest. The late sun burned away the remaining fog as the ship loosened its sails to slow.

"This is weird," Anna said in amazement. "First, we're in the middle of the ocean and now we're here?" She looked at Eric. "Where are we?"

Her brother pointed toward the high mountains surrounding them. "Those are the Allegheny Mountains; we're in Pennsylvania, Anna."

As the ship slowed around a final turn, the work of the crew became more frantic. Within minutes, they were approaching a massive old dock with dozens of waiting sailors, holding thick ropes. The great ship slid expertly into place and groaned loudly as it bumped and scraped its dock stops. Ropes were thrown back and forth between the sailors on the ship and those on the dock, and were quickly tied down. The gangway was raised high into the air once again and fell neatly into place. The railing doors were opened and, one by one, the students started heading down the ramp. Anna was still looking around them in astonished wonder.

"I've never seen so many trees in all my life!" she said, marveling at the thick forest and twisted old growth between them.

"Yes, it's quite a bit different from where we come from, Anna. The air can get very humid in the summer and the trees you see stretch for hundreds of miles across New York and New England in the north, and down into Maryland and Virginia in the south. Just wait until you see the leaves change in the fall," Eric said knowledgeably. Anna couldn't seem to take it all in at once. Like the rest of the first-year students, she was wide eyed with awe.

The students followed each other in a long line across the docks and into a wooden building, where they climbed a series of steps toward several cable cars waiting for them at the top. Anna, Gwen, and Eric piled into an open car, along with a number of other first-year students. With a sharp lurch, the car started to ascend upward along its cable toward the mountains high above them.

As the car cleared the tops of the trees, Anna gasped at the sight below them. As Eric had said, there were hundreds of square miles of forested hills and mountains all around them for as far as she could see. She watched the Allegheny Pride dropping away, and spotted the miles of twisting river leading away from the dock on the other side.

They continued traveling higher in the tram, and finally flattened off as they reached the summit of the first mountain. Crossing onto the other side, Anna could see dozens of earthen peaks far below them.

"It's so beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before," Anna said, and for the first time in her life she suddenly realized there might be other places in the world as beautiful as her far off home.

They rose again into thick white clouds, which blocked her view of everything beneath them. Within minutes, she could feel them leveling off once more and then begin to angle down. All of the students were straining to see through the clouds as they continued to descend.

"Look!" hollered a boy in the front. They all peered out the window again and could see the clouds thinning. The trees began to appear through the fog and what looked like a flat plateau suddenly fell into view.

"There it is! I can see it now. Over there, look — look! It's Castlewood!" screamed a girl to their left. Everybody in the car dashed over to see where she was pointing. Looming out of the clouds below them, and into the late afternoon sun, stood the most incredible sight Anna had ever seen in her life. Finally, it was there.

"Castlewood!" Anna whispered. "It's… it's…."

"It's unbelievable!" said another girl behind her. Anna looked at her brother standing next to her; she could see he was watching her every reaction.

"Exactly," she said, softly.

The castle was huge, easily dwarfing everything else that might be standing on the plateau. More than a castle, Anna was amazed at the size and the area in which its foundation spread. Considering what she envisioned, the structure should have been called a complex rather than a building. Its stone walls rose high into the air and contained many spiral towers, and cobbled walkways joining them. The stone of the castle and its surrounding buildings took on a pinkish glow in the late evening sun, and the many angled roofs were covered in black slate. The castle's inner and outer baileys where filled with tall structures, classrooms and assembly halls, no doubt, which contained hundreds of brightly lit mullion widows. The entire castle was set upon a hill, overlooking the rest of the plateau surrounding it.

As the tram dropped lower, the clouds around them eventually gave way and more of the grounds around the castle came into view.

"Wow, look at that!" said a boy pointing down on the other side of the car. Everybody moved as one to the opposite window to see more structures coming into view below them. Several buildings appeared within the castle's shadow, with streets and walkways connecting them. And then, suddenly, there they were, the five great Union walls. Encircling the castle, they were arranged in the shape of a pentagon, with round towers protruding high into the air at the corners where they joined. The city rose upward on sloping hills between the Union walls and the huge castle set in its center.

"Is that Spellsburg?" asked Anna, pointing at the small buildings and streets dotting on the hills below the castle. She noticed all of the other first-years in the car were looking eagerly toward Eric for an answer.

"That's right," Eric replied. "Actually… you could say everything below us sitting on top of this plateau is Spellsburg. The castle and Union walls that form the Academy reside within the city. "Those large stadiums outside the walls are the Quidditch, Slalom, and Vollucross fields."

Anna looked in wonder at the huge stadiums and their bleachers rising around the beautiful green and well-manicured fields within their middle. One of the stadiums was u-shaped, with the open end offering a clear view of the forest to the north.

As the cable cars bumped and rattled along, Anna noticed their route would take them down over one of the Union walls and directly into the city. As they crossed over, they could see the battlements and walk ways running its entire length.

"That's the Labor Union Hall," yelled another boy, pointing at the emerald green flags waving in the brisk wind atop some of the merlons. "My dad was in that Union!" he said with pride. Anna smiled and looked up at Eric, who was nodding at the boy.

The cars continued to drop into Spellsburg, and finally entered another wooden building, much like its twin down on the docks. With a loud _ker-chunk_, the car came to an abrupt stop and the doors slid open. The students made their way down another long series of groaning steps, leading to the exit below. There they found a large gathering space where the students mingled in a circle, waiting for the rest of the tramcars to arrive.

"Anna… come with me," called Eric, grabbing her by the hand. Gwen was laughing as she followed along. "Stand here — next to these doors. This is where you're gonna want to be when we enter the city streets."

Anna looked at Eric and Gwen suspiciously and then frowned. "What's going on? What are you two up to now?" she said, distrustfully.

Then, all at once, the doors behind her flew open. She turned, and was immediately pushed forward into the light by the crowd of students behind her. She stepped out onto a massive stone porch overlooking the street below. An immense crowd began cheering and clapping as the students stepped outside. Anna smiled. It seemed the whole town of Spellsburg had come to welcome them back to school.

A band in the back began to play, and the sparks from several wands shot into the sky. A very fat man, with a gray goatee and a bright yellow cloak, waded forward from the railing overlooking the crowd. He too was clapping madly. Eric pushed Anna in the back toward the fat man, who instantly grabbed her around the shoulder and walked her over to the edge of the railing. Anna didn't exactly like being heaved around by this strange man, and she glanced back to give Eric a look of dismay at being placed into his clutches.

"Be nice, Anna," Eric whispered. "He's the Mayor of Spellsburg." Anna quickly looked in shock at the man holding her captive, as Eric and Gwen started chuckling behind her. The Mayor raised his hand to quiet the crowd.

"Welcome! Welcome, one and all, back to Spellsburg. As the Mayor of this wonderful Wizarding city, it is my privilege and immense pleasure to tell our returning students how wonderful it is to see them among us once again. It is an honor to have you back in our midst." The large crowd cheered loudly and started clapping all over again. Anna was happy about the excitement, but very embarrassed at being singled out and placed in the front. As the crowd continued to clap joyously, the Mayor leaned in to whisper into Anna's ear.

"What is your name, my dear, and where are you from?"

"Anna Grayson, sir," replied Anna fretfully.

"Are you a first-year?"

"Yes, sir, from California." The Mayor looked somewhat surprised, and then glanced around to find Eric standing behind them. The man tilted his head toward Anna to confirm the family connection and Eric nodded. The Mayor smiled and then cleared his throat before raising his hand to silence the crowd.

"This here… is Miss Anna Grayson of California, and she's obviously a very long way from home." The Mayor overacted an exaggerated chuckle. "I guess it would be natural for somebody like Anna to feel… a little out of place. After all… she's coming into a new school, with new students and teachers, and now… a new town. But the citizens of Spellsburg would like to tell Anna, and the rest of our first-year students arriving today, that you are most welcome here. We're excited to see you, and we are looking forward to meeting each and every one of you personally. We are your community now, and thus, your new family.

"For the next ten months, you will call our great city your place of residence. But, speaking for the good people here before you today, we hope you will eventually call Spellsburg your home. Welcome home — one and all!" And with these words, the crowd exploded into thunderous cheers, and the band began to play once again. Anna smiled politely, even as the Mayor yanked her arm above her head along with his own. She could hear Eric and Gwen laughing madly behind her. She turned to glare back at them.

"Remind me to kill you two later," she said, through her clinched, smiling teeth. The Mayor eventually let Anna go, and then escorted the new students down the stone steps and into the streets below.

"Onward to Castlewood!" he bellowed loudly, as he led them through the cobblestone streets and up the winding hills toward the castle. Many of the shopkeepers lining the streets reached out to shake the student's hands as they passed by.

"Welcome to Spellsburg, my dear," said a kindly old lady in a soft blue apron, standing in front of one of the stores.

"Thank you," Anna replied, allowing herself to slowly fall back so as to inspect the small shops and businesses along their route. It all seemed so incredible. There was The Wompum Emporium, makers of fine robes and clothing, Mister Banshee's Parchment and Stationary, Turner and Steele Books, Ms. Rigger's Sporting Goods and Supplies, and several quaint looking restaurants.

"So… you done speechifying to the masses, Annie-G?" laughed Gwen, sliding her arm around Anna's waist.

"Ha-ha-ha, you two are a riot. Where's that brother of mine? I owe him a right hook to the jaw."

Gwen snorted. "He's gone ahead, said he'd meet you inside the castle."

_Humph!_ "Coward!" Anna snorted. Then, looking down the street in front of them, she said, "Look at all of this. I had no idea there was so much here."

"Oh, this is nothing. There are two more streets running parallel to this one just a block over. They follow the Union Halls all the way around the castle. They weren't kidding when they called this place a city. It's absolutely huge; one of the biggest Wizarding cities in the world."

The girls made their way through streets with odd names like Wizards Way and Dragon Drive, and Gwen took the time to show Anna some of her favorite places to shop. Eventually, they found their way to the castle entrance, where the rest of the students had gathered to wait for the front doors to open. The Mayor, now carrying an ornate walking staff, crossed over the drawbridge lying flat across a moat surrounding the castle. As he reached the immense double doors, he lifted his staff and gave the wood three heavy raps. With a loud rumble, the massive doors began to swing open, revealing another arched, iron gate inside. Two scarlet-cloaked guards stood at attention within.

"Who goes there?" yelled one of the guards, sounding somewhat rehearsed.

"It is I, Ulric Prower, Mayor of the fine city of Spellsburg."

"What is your business here, sir?"

"I have come to deliver this year's students into the hands of the Chancellor of this wizarding school. Does the Chancellor accept the responsibility of these young souls left in my care?"

"He does indeed, sir. On behalf of the Chancellor, the guards of Castlewood thank you for your watchful care."

And with that, the massive chains attaching the gate to its counterweight went taut and began to rattle as they lifted the spiked portcullis high into the air, removing the last barrier into the castle. The crowd of students standing on the drawbridge began to cheer loudly.

"Whelp… you'll be going in with the other first-years to orientation," Gwen said to Anna. "I'll see you again at the joining tonight, all right?"

"Okay… and thanks for the tour." Gwen smiled and turned to follow the other students through the iron gate.

As the rest of the students filed passed the gatehouse, a lone figure stood watching from a window high above them. An old wizard, with shockingly white hair and very dark glasses, gazed out as the crowd made their way through the doors and into the castle grounds. Finally, he noticed one student standing alone on the drawbridge. He could see the young girl, with flaming red hair, looking skyward toward the highest parts of the castle above her. The old wizard curled a small smile.

Anna stood there on the drawbridge watching the other students walk through the gate. She stared straight up at the castle's gigantic edifice and smiled. She made it; she was finally here. Anna dropped to her knees and, with a single, final prayer, she asked God to give her the strength she needed to keep her father's trust and bring honor to her family.

As the old wizard watched, a knock was heard at his door.

"Come in."

"Chancellor Thordarson… the students have arrived, sir," said a young man wrapped in a red cloak, now standing inside the door. The wizard turned and smiled.

"Ah, yes… young minds full of potential have come to us for molding. The responsibility boggles the mind, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir," said the man with a guarded smile. There was a long pause as the wizard began collecting a few items from his desk.

"Every year we see more and more of them come though our doors," the guard said, "but very few ever leave their mark. Do you believe such a person exists in this new batch, Professor?"

The Chancellor looked outside again, and watched the red headed girl rise from her knees and walk slowly through the front gate. He smiled again as he turned.

"You know… I believe so. In fact, I expect this school will never be the same after this year." The old wizard walked out of his office, leaving the young man standing alone and looking very surprised.

150


	15. The Joining

Chapter 15d23 — The Joining

Chapter 15

The Joining

As Anna walked through Castlewood's arched front gate, she immediately began to hear a soft muffled echo. Very faint at first, the sound became increasing louder as she continued to walk through the tunnel toward the castle grounds. The echo turned into a velvety whisper, like the sound of many voices speaking to one another. She stopped to listen more closely, frowning as she stepped to the side where she could hear the light murmurs becoming louder. Finally, Anna was standing right next to the wall and noticed the cold, gray stone beginning to sweat, almost bleed with water. The whispering was louder now. She leaned closer and could almost make out some of the words.

"The… -tor… -…am-… us."

"What was that?" Anna said, stepping closer to the wall. She reached out with her hand and placed it on the surface of the stone. At once, she heard a scream shoot through her mind like a knife splitting her forehead.

"The protector is among us!"

It was so loud her knees immediately buckled as Anna tried to cover her ears and drop to the ground. She could hear many voices now yelling excitedly.

"The protector! It is here!"

Again, Anna tried to cover her ears, but realized she couldn't remove one of her hands from the wall. Forcing her head up, Anna opened her eyes in horror at the sight before her. Her hand was buried up to the wrist within the surface of the wall. Panicking, Anna stood and tried to pull her hand out, but she found it fixed tight. She tried to scream, but the yelling in her head was so loud she couldn't even hear her own voice. She began recklessly yanking on her arm, looking at her wrist in terror as she felt what seemed like dozens of cold hands touching the tips of her fingers deep within the rock wall.

"Let go! Let go of me!" Anna yelled, sickened at the sight of her hand slipping, and perhaps even pulled, still deeper into the stone.

Her mind flashed back to her nightmare of Damon, when the hands in the floor were grabbing at her feet. Her reaction was much the same; she could feel her blood begin to boil as she pulled desperately back to free herself.

"I said — let me go!" And all at once, her hand slipped free. Anna tumbled backwards to the ground as the screaming in her mind suddenly stopped. Anna sat up quickly, clutching her hand. She looked around, listening carefully; the voices were quiet. She looked down. Other than feeling a bit cold, her hand seemed to be fine, and she noticed the wall in front of her now looked completely dry. Anna slowly reached out and quickly stabbed at the wall with her finger. The stone was solid again. She placed a single hand on the wall again and lightly swabbed over it, looking for any weak spots. She pressed hard against the stone with both hands.

_Hmmm, I wonder if this is some kind of trick to catch the first-years off guard. Could be one of my sister's stunts, but that wouldn't explain the voices I heard._ She looked down at her hand again, flexing her fingers and feeling their tips.

"Strange… really bizarre. I guess you have to be mindful of what you touch around here," she said, trying to insure her first experience within the castle was more interesting than frightening.

She got to her feet and entered the inner courtyard. She could see a set of doors at the top of some stone steps and, ascending them two at a time to the second rise, she suspiciously turned to listen again for the voices. All was quiet. She opened the front door and stepped inside.

As Anna entered, a large reception area opened before her, lit by the fires of many bracketed torches. There was a long hallway at the opposite end of the room, and two more on her left and right. Although the air around her was somewhat chilly, the room was warm and inviting with its many tapestries, marbled stairways and worn flagstone floor. Anna smiled and wondered aloud how many other students had entered this place since the castle's founding.

"First-year?" barked a voice behind her. Anna turned to find one of the castle guards, dressed in spectacular red robes, standing there.

"Uh… yes. Where am I…?"

"Down the right corridor to the end, and then turn left," he interrupted coldly. "Continue to the end again, down the steps to the double doors. You'll find the rest of the eggs there." He pivoted to return to his station at the foot of a sweeping staircase.

"I'll find the rest of the what?" Anna said, looking confused. The guard stopped and turned again. The cold look on his face never broke.

"The eggs — the first-years. We call them eggs here." His hand came out from under his robes, displaying a silver sword. He pointed it down the hall. "That way." Anna didn't argue. She followed his directions until she came to the double doors and then entered.

She stepped into an enormous classroom that looked like an amphitheater. There were steep steps leading downward, and seats arranged in a circle around a small staged floor at the bottom. The seats where filled with nearly two hundred first-year students, the steady hum of their voices were talking excitedly. Anna found an open seat next to the aisle with a good view of the platform and sat down.

A few minutes later, a trap door in the center of the wooden stage swung open and banged the floor opposite. A tall, rather thin man, with blonde hair and bright red robes, could be seen walking up a set of steps below the hole. He stepped onto the platform, and then flipped the trapdoor over with his foot, slamming it loudly again.

"Quiiiieeett," he growled. "My name is Gregory Dunning, and I am the Captain of the Crimson Guard here at Castlewood Academy. I am responsible for your protection and safety during your stay with us." He began to pace back and forth across the stage, his hands clinched tightly behind his back.

"I'm going to do you all a favor tonight, and tell you about a few rules you'll need to know if you're going to avoid an inconvenient death before your first holiday break." A few of the students chortled in the audience, and the captain's head snapped around, giving them a look that let them know he was absolutely serious. Those who were laughing immediately went quiet.

"Inconvenient to me, that is, because of the paperwork an incident like that can produce," he sneered at them, before continuing his pacing again. "Castlewood has a wonderful reputation for creating scholars in every walk of life, but it also has a reputation for being an extremely dangerous place. If you ignore the rules set aside for your safety, you may very well get yourself killed. But if you're lucky enough to break the rules and live, I will personally toss you over the moat and out on your ear." The room was so quiet; Anna could hear the boy next to her gulp.

"There are only three people on this mountain that can expel you and send you home," Dunning continued. "The first, of course, would be the Chancellor of this school. The second is the Mayor of Spellsburg and the other…" he slowly turned to face them, looking all the way up to the back row of the seats above him, "is me!" He grinned maliciously. "And make no mistake… step out of line in the slightest, and I'll have you packing and on that ship faster than you can say, _better off dead_." Anna shuddered. _Was this the man the twins had to face last year when they were nearly suspended?_

"Rule number one: You will not travel about the castle on your own after lights-out. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but those occurrences will be made exceedingly clear when they apply.

"Rule number two: The moat around this castle is not a swimming hole. There are several species of beast living in those black waters, and they don't take kindly to students bathing in their home — keep out!

"Rule number three: You will stay out of the Shadowed Forest and the woods surrounding Spellsburg. There are a few exceptions when it comes to those woods. For example, those flying for their Union teams on the Vollucross field are allowed to enter the forest on a predefined route under the direct supervision of the resident Vollucross Steward. For the rest of you — stay the hell out! What you can't see in there will surely kill you!"

The Captain turned to face the opposite side of the room. "If necessary, the guards under my control will follow my orders to their death. I command — they follow. However… entering the Shadowed Forest, looking for lost or dimwitted students, is the only time I will _ask_ my guards to volunteer for a task. Very few have singularly agreed to enter those woods alone, and fewer still have returned alive to tell us what they saw. Remember this; you put more than yourself in danger if you enter the woods alone. The guards who follow you may very well die in a wasteful attempt to save you. Think about that before you mindlessly blunder off.

"Finally, you will follow all commands given to you by the Crimson Guards in and around the castle without fail. Is that understood?" Several students murmured yes and then nodded.

"At the end of each year, one Union Dynasty is awarded the Chancellor's Cup, a very prestigious honor that is part of nearly every conversation you will have here at the school. Points are allotted based on your grades, test results, and your participation and success in your sport of choice. Every student will participate in at least one sport here at the academy. This is tradition… and there are no exceptions.

"Anyone breaking the rules at the school will receive detention and will have points taken away from their Halls. Anyone suspended from the school, even for a single day, makes his or her Union Hall ineligible to receive the Chancellor's Cup." Captain Dunning paused.

"Tonight is a night you will remember for the rest of your lives. Tonight, you will be joined to one of the five Castlewood Unions. When you leave here in just a few minutes, you will be served dinner and then taken to the Great Rotunda, where the rest of the students will be waiting to witness your joining. After you have been seated with your Dynasty Unions, this year's Union Knights will be named, along with the Academy Student President. That will complete the evening's events, and you will be given your day-one schedules and room assignments. Tomorrow, you will follow these schedules to the letter and then, in the evening, you will return to the Rotunda for the start-of-term banquet." He turned around and yanked the trap door open and let it drop on its back again with a bang.

"Oh… and one more thing. You are not to interfere with the duties of the men under my command. They are posted in the hallways and main corridors for your protection. Castlewood is a very special and magical place. As such, it has many secrets yet to be understood. There are ghosts within these walls, and at least two ogres I have personally seen living somewhere in the dungeons. Until you understand more about the things that exist around you, stay on watch and near my guards at all times." He paused again. "Enjoy your dinner. There will be guards at the top of the stairs to show you the way. You are dismissed." And with these final words, Dunning disappeared down into the floor again. The students stood and headed back up the steps toward the exits. As the Captain had promised, they found several guards in the hallway pointing the way.

"Kind of an odd, stiff fellow, wouldn't you say?" asked a boy, walking next to Anna, speaking of the captain.

"Yeah, I'd hate to accidentally break one of his rules," she replied, with a smirk.

"My brother said Dunning has tried to suspend more students for rule breaking than any other captain in the history of the school," the boy said, worriedly.

"I can believe that; seems somewhat grumpy by nature, I think."

As they made their way through the corridors, Anna could smell the food wafting down the hallways, enticing them onward to their dinner. Anna lagged behind the rest of the students; once again, taking in all there was to see within the castle. As they walked, the students periodically passed other corridors, branching away to their left and right. Looking down these other passages, they could see an assortment of oddities and strange things occurring. There was a row of stained glass windows whose pieces were constantly rearranging themselves to change the images within their frames. There were wobbling wardrobes, and chairs that stood and walked about their tables. They passed a series of doors that began to float mischievously around on the walls.

"I wonder how they expect us to get into that room," commented a boy, pointing at one of the doors that moved itself flat to the ceiling above their heads. Anna noticed some of the torches hanging on the walls had left their mounts, and were floating through the air by themselves to light their path. One hallway was completely upside down, and the students had to carefully mind their step as they maneuvered around the ceiling fixtures, rising straight up from the floor. One of the girls in the group pointed to the bottom edge of a hallway door upside down against the ceiling. They could see the shadow of somebody walking around on the other side.

As they rounded the next bend, Anna could see some of the students in front hesitate before turning suddenly quiet. As Anna turned the corner, she understood why. Standing in the center of the hallway was another guard draped in a red cloak and a hood covering his face. Unlike the other guards who had been escorting them through the castle, this sentinel before them was enormous. At least eight feet tall, the man took up nearly all the space between the walls.

The students cautiously made their way around the figure, too frightened to look up as they passed on his left and right. The colossal form stood motionless, like a statue, never moving or offering instruction.

"Is it real?" Anna heard a boy ask another ahead of her.

"Nah… can't be. Nobody's that big," replied the boy walking beside him, but Anna could tell by timbre of his voice he wasn't really sure.

As Anna followed from behind and approached the guard, she instantly froze. Without deliberately meaning to, she had halted right in front of the enormous sentry. The cloaked figure never moved, but Anna could sense something completely unexpected from him. She stood, concentrating hard, scanning the hulkish form looming high above her. She could hear its breathing now, a low and steady rumble, and could feel its elephant-size heart beating deep within her head; something was very wrong. Other than his immense size, there was something strangely different about this one. Anna closed her eyes and tilted her head down to concentrate harder on the odd sound that was his beating heart.

_It's… the rhythm,_ Anna thought. The man's heart wasn't beating properly. And then the answer came to her like a bolt of lightning and Anna's eyes popped open with shock as her head jerked up.

_He has two hearts! _This was no man standing before her; it was some kind of creature, a beast. And just as Anna began to consider what kind of creature the thing might be, she realized she was now completely alone with it in the corridor. Fear suddenly swept over her. She dropped her head and quickly started to walk around him, acting like a spy carrying some guarded secret. As she passed, Anna glanced upward again, and was shocked to see the hooded figure looking down at her, its face still clothed in crimson silk. Anna's blood ran cold as she continued past him without hesitation. _Did it somehow sense that she knew he wasn't what he seemed to the others? _

As Anna got a few steps past the giant, she quickly broke into a run. Sprinting all the way down the hallway, she only turned to look back when she reached the end of the long corridor and saw the other students rounding the next turn in front of her. She finally stopped, and twisted around to look back. Her view instantly went red. Stunned, Anna looked up and was shocked to see the giant standing right next to her, no more than three feet away. Just as before, he stood motionless, still facing the long, now empty, corridor behind them. Anna slowly backed away until she bumped flat to the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. And then, like a bird of prey focusing in on its next meal, the figure slowly turned his huge head all the way around, its covered face now looking backward at her.

Frightened at being left alone with the creature once more, Anna saw the last of the students disappear around the next corner and quickly moved to join them. She raced down and around the next turn just in time to see a large wooden door slowly closing ahead of her. As she yanked open the door and stepped inside, Anna didn't have the courage to look back for fear the giant might still be hovering there next to her. She quickly slammed the door behind her. She backed away, watching the door's rusted latch for a moment, and then cautiously stepped forward again to press her ear to the panel, listening for any movement coming from the other side. She stepped back and then turned. Apparently, when it came to protecting the castle, Captain Dunning's crimson guard included creatures as well as wizards.

To Anna's surprise, the dining hall looked very much like any other Muggle school cafeteria. It was well lit and modern looking, except for the old wooden tables and benches, which were pushed together into long lines. Even the portraits hanging on the walls looked rather new, and contained the smiling and moving faces of several old witches and wizards dressed in white within their frames. Most of them, Anna noticed, were wearing tall chef's hats on their heads.

"Please, if you will, try the Saumon cru à la mousse d'avocat," waved a friendly French cook in a frame to Anna's right. "C'est magnifique!" he said, kissing his fingers toward her.

"Uh… okay. That's the salmon right? Thank you, I will," Anna replied courteously.

"Bon appétit!"

They all sat down to a fantastic dinner. There were dozens of turkeys, platters of sliced ham and fish, and several wonderful old world entrées that the portraits discussed and bickered over, while simultaneously trying to get the students to sample and taste.

"No, don't eat that! That's his dish," said a grumpy old cook from his painting. "Try the corned beef next to it. Now that's a real meal."

"Egit, nein ich es das nichts immer! That mess vill make you sick and give you gas. Try the Spätzle and the Kalbshaxen behind it."

Even in her mansion home with Widwick's best effort, Anna had never seen so much food. There were piled mashed potatoes and yams, mounds of stuffing, rolls and breads, and an assortment of vegetables and fruit. Although the dinner was tremendous, Anna felt enormously uncomfortable. The difference in her size and age compared to those seated around her was more than obvious now, and made her feel terribly awkward and out of place. After being singled out by the Mayor in front of the whole town, Anna wanted nothing more than to disappear and blend in. Unfortunately, sitting among the younger first-years was not the place in which she could find obscurity. She longed to see Gwen again, and take her up on her offer to show her around the castle grounds.

"Eeeeekkkkk!" a young girl screamed at the end of the table and everybody turned.

"What is that?" the girl yelled, pointing at the floor below her. Anna could now see a small figure waddling around the end of the table. It was a house elf, carrying another platter of ham to the table.

"Oh… I is sorry, miss. Did I scare you?" asked the elf, in squeaky surprise. A lot of students at the table looked shocked as well, and Anna understood why. A small number of these students were from Muggle families and would never have seen an elf before now. The others probably knew about them, but very few had ever actually seen one. Anna could tell who at the table was familiar with the creature, because she could hear them snickering at the now crying young girl at the far end of the table. Seeing the girl mocked and laughed at made Anna's face go red with anger.

"Knock it off!" Anna said, glaring at the giggling students in front of her. They all stopped instantly in surprise. Anna picked up her plate, stood, and walked to the end of the table where the young girl was crying. She could see the elf trying to soothe the tiny girl's fears, but she was leaning away and cringing in horror. Anna set her plate on the table and sat down on the end of the bench between the girl and the elf. She placed her arm around the girl's shoulder to soothe her, and she instantly leaned in to clutch Anna's robes.

"Calm down… it's all right." The girl looked up; her eyes were wet with tears. Anna could hardly believe his girl was old enough to be at the school. Although she knew she must have been at the age of entry, the girl was tiny and looked barely ten years old.

"Wha…. what is that thing?" the girl said, looking at the elf behind her.

"It's not a thing. It's an elf!" Anna replied, sounding upbeat. "Hello," said Anna, turning to the small creature, trying to show the girl there was nothing to fear. "And what is your name, little elf?"

"Oh, I is called Tisket, mum," the elf replied is a high squeaky voice. "I is sorry Iz frightened the child, mum. I should not have come in unannounced."

"It's all right, Tisket. She's not afraid anymore, are you?" Anna looked at the girl, trying to bolster her confidence. The girl had stopped crying, but Anna could tell she still wasn't quite sure about the creature serving their food.

"I… I," she started to mutter. "No?"

"There now… you see? No harm done." Anna turned to the elf. "My name is Anna Grayson," she said, joyfully. "It's very good to meet you, Tisket." Anna stretched out her hand, showing everybody at the table that elves could be touched as well as seen. The elf looked at Anna's hand in shock, and then slowly smiled. He quickly set the plate of ham down on the table, and wiped his hands on the dirty Castlewood pillowcase he was wearing under a tiny apron. He shook Anna's hand vigorously, beaming with delight.

"Oh, Miss Grayson, the pleasure is all mine… all mine, indeed," he squeaked, and a few of the girls around them let go a heart-felt sigh. After releasing Anna's hand, the elf peered over at the girl still hiding to Anna's left.

"Wez have lots and lots of desserts. Would the bunny of a girl like something sweet? Does she have a favorite?" The girl looked up at Anna.

"Go on… what would you like?" Anna asked her softly.

"I… I like ice cream," she said meekly, not knowing if a place like this had such a thing as ice cream.

"Ohhh… wez has lots of ice cream. Wez have sweet acorn, basal, pepperbush, locknut, and many — many others." Anna looked at the girl. She could tell she had never heard of these flavors before.

"My favorite is vanilla," Anna said. "How about you?" The girl nodded.

"Two vanilwas it is, then! I is getting them coming right up just for you's." And with that, the elf scampered back into the kitchen.

"Sorry… I was being so silly," the little girl said to Anna.

"Oh... no problem. It'll take some time getting use to all of this. I take it you're the first witch in your family, then?"

"I think, I mean… I guess so."

"And… what's your name?"

"It's… I'm Sarah Bell," the girl peeped.

"Glad to meet you, Sarah. So, when did you get your letter from Castlewood?" Anna asked, still trying to soothe the girl, but, despite her efforts, she thought Sarah looked quite shaken by the things going on around her.

"About two weeks ago."

"So that would mean your birthday was about three weeks ago, right?" The girl nodded.

"Well happy birthday, Sarah." The girl's head drooped down unhappily.

"What's the matter?"

"I really miss my mom and dad. I… really don't want to be here," she said, not looking up.

Anna was stunned. To her, coming to Castlewood was a dream come true, and yet, here was a girl who wanted nothing more than to go home.

"Really? You want to leave?" Sarah nodded. "But… why?"

"I don't want to be a witch. I want to be normal, like my brothers and sisters. I don't like this scary place. I don't want to see ghosts and ogres. I don't like scary giants in the hallways or pictures that move. I just… I just want to go home." And with that, the girl started sobbing into her hands. Anna patted her on the back. She couldn't help but appreciate how ironic this moment was to her. In truth, both Anna and Sarah shared a similar problem; both of them just wanting to be normal. For Anna, being normal meant being a witch, but for somebody like Sarah, it meant… well… being just a Muggle.

"Why did your mom and dad send you here if you didn't want to come?"

Sarah raised her head. "My daddy said going away would help me come out of my shell, but I don't believe him. I think they did it because they're afraid of me. They're afraid of all of the weird things that happen around me all the time," she replied sadly, before returning to her whimpered moans.

Anna bent forward. "Look… all you need is a friend, somebody who can look out for you and make sure you don't get lost in the mix. Tell you what, how about… I'll be your friend, and you can watch out for me and be my friend?" The girl peered up through her wet, red eyes and sniffed, looking at Anna with a slight sparkle of hope building in her face.

"How about it? Does that sound all right?" The girl finally smiled. "So, it's agreed?" Sarah nodded.

"Here is you's ice cream, miss," came Tisket's voice behind them. Sarah looked at the elf and then at Anna, who smiled down at her and then gestured to the elf for a reply.

"Thank you," Sarah said quietly, taking the bowl from the elf's hand. "I'm very sorry I screamed when I saw you."

The elf's eyes brightened. "Is all right, Miss. Iz just hope I see you's again soon; such a pretty-bunny of a girl." Sarah smiled, again.

As the students finished their dinner, several more elves were seen coming in and out of the dining hall, and, by the end of dessert, hardly anybody took notice of them picking up the many plates and platters, and sweeping the floors around their feet. Seeing the elves at work reminded Anna of Gabby and Widwick, and how much she missed them already.

After a while, the Captain of the Guard appeared once again, and was escorting them down the many hallways through the castle. Everybody was full and happy, smiling in amazement at the number of portraits waving and welcoming them to Castlewood. They finally turned down a dark, stone hallway, whose torches burst with fire as they walked passed. There were no portraits here, just a series of chipped, stone pedestals with large, horned gargoyles crouching down menacingly on top. Sarah stayed very close to Anna as they walked between them, and then reached out to grab her by the arm when she thought she saw the eyes of one of the ugly, winged creatures move to stare down at her. Suddenly, one of the statues stood upright to stretch his long bat-like wings, and the children walking close yelped in fright as they moved together against the wall opposite. Another gargoyle behind them gave out a deep growl and bared its blackened fangs at them.

"Come on — keep moving. Don't worry about them — they won't bite," hollered the Captain, walking briskly to the front.

The students crowded single file into the center of the hallway, and as far away from the pedestals as possible. Anna huffed irritably. Her father had two statues exactly like these in their garden at home, and she knew the creatures would think nothing of scaring all the children they could. Anna found herself rebelliously walking as close to the pedestals as possible, almost daring one of the creatures to make a move toward her. The other students were impressed by her apparent courage.

"Eggs… Tasty, delicious eggs," whispered one of the statues to another creature squatting next to him.

Anna looked up and scowled. The gargoyle snarled back at her, and then showed her his long black fangs and ugly forked tongue. Anna hissed back at the statue, reached up, and slapped the gargoyle across the nose.

"Mind your manners, you!" she warned, pointing a threatening finger at him. The statue rocked back on his heels and screeched out in surprise, but then fell silent. Captain Dunning, looking back, chuckled amusedly to himself.

The students entered an immense gathering space where two guards were standing in front of a large set of double doors behind them. As Captain Dunning entered the space, the guards went rigid in attention. He turned to face the students again.

"This is the entrance to the Great Rotunda. Your classmates are waiting for you inside." Anna could now hear the rumble of many voices on the other side of the doors. "When we go in, you will follow me to the far side of the room where you will be seated near the Chancellor's observation box. We will begin the Joining Ceremony soon afterwards. You should be concentrating once again on your ambitions; it will make the joining go much quicker for everybody. Each of you will be called individually to the front in the order given to us by the _Book of Births_. There are nearly two hundred of you here tonight, so listen closely for your names. Several names could be called at once to keep the line to the platform moving smartly.

"Any questions?" Looking around, the Captain glared at them. "Pay attention… and don't make us ask for you twice. Gather behind me as we enter the rotunda." He turned and walked toward the two guards, who separated to give him access to the double doors behind them. He grabbed the two latches, clicked, and pulled. The doors swung in and the guards to the side grabbed the handles to hold them open. The Captain stepped forward and stopped a few feet inside on the threshold. The voices of the crowd inside went quiet.

"Chancellor Thordarson, I give you… the first-years, sir!" He turned back to the students waiting behind him and, with a wave of his hand, he called to them. "Come!"

They all marched in as the other students inside cheered and clapped wildly. As Anna entered, she could see the Great Rotunda was a wondrous place. The room was round, with twenty-foot windows encased within large arches, wrapping around the outer walls surrounding them. There were five long Union tables on the floor, extending down the entire length of the vast space inside. Seated above them in an open balcony against the round walls were the professors, teachers, and instructors, sitting in high-back chairs. Most were wearing beautiful robes of various colors and impressive hats, their Dynasty colors draped impressively across their sleeves and front.

Anna's first instinct upon entering the room was to look up, but from the steep angle at the door, the ceiling above them was strangely blurred from their view. But, as they made there way between the long rows of student tables, the ceiling began to sharpen.

"That's my dad!" yelled a boy on Anna's left, and they all looked up and gasped. High above them, where the domed ceiling should have been, were hundreds of faces looking down upon them.

"They look like ghosts!" said another boy in astonishment. There was a squeal from a girl ahead of Anna, and she started waving frantically up at the ceiling.

"Mother! Mother… over here!" The girl was jumping up and down, trying to get the attention of a woman who looked like she was seated among a long line of heads, spiraling high above them; her image was flattened, as if projected, against the stone of the dome. The woman in the ceiling saw the girl waving at her, and then nudged the man seated next to her. They both started waving merrily at their daughter below. "Hi, Daddy!" the girl sang out, enthusiastically.

They were the parents and relatives of the first-year students, their images somehow magically placed inside the rotunda to watch the Joining Ceremony. Anna was scanning the ceiling too, looking for her father, but with so many people, it was difficult to find a familiar face among the hundreds looking down upon them. Somebody grabbed Anna's robe on her right and she turned to find Tencha and Dowla smiling at her. The two looked impressively formal in their black robes and gold braided trims. Tencha turned Anna's shoulders, redirecting her gaze to the upper left and then pointed at a figure in the ceiling above her. Anna squinted, looking desperately toward the area where her sister was drawing her attention. And then, she finally saw him.

"Daddy," Anna whispered. He was seated in the front row in the ceiling, smiling broadly. Mrs. McConnell was waving politely next to him; she could see her father's secretary wiping away her tears with a tissue. Anna waved at the two of them as her father bent to blow her a kiss, and then cupped his hands together toward her. Anna was given a slight bump from the back before realizing she was holding up the procession forward. She continued along, not taking her eyes off her father's position as she walked.

They were finally seated in a number of chairs facing the Chancellor's box, and Anna could at last see Professor Thordarson sitting impressively between two crimson guards on his left and right. There was a wide, lifted platform, stretching the width of the room before them, and steps leading up to the flattened stage on the right and another set that lead off to the left. A very large mirror stood imposingly in the center of the platform. The highly polished mirror was at least eight feet tall and five feet wide, sitting in an ornate frame. Looking into it, the glass reflected the room behind them perfectly; in its center, a dim yellow light was pulsating.

After they were all seated, the Chancellor slowly stood. He was very old, but by the look of the professors seated in the balconies watching him, there was great deal of admiration and respect for this remarkable wizard. He was of medium height, with long white hair pulled tight behind him. He was wearing a blue robe and very dark glasses, which Anna thought was rather odd, considering it was already dark outside. He leaned on a tall gnarled staff in his right hand, which was topped with a blue colored orb that glowed very slightly. As he stood, he stepped forward to the edge of the observation box and opened his arms to speak.

"Welcome, one and all, to this year's joining. We are happy so many of our family and friends have joined us this evening, because what we do here tonight is extremely important. The joining represents the final validation that these students are ready to begin the process of finding their place in our Wizarding community." Anna felt uneasy. Up until just a few days ago, she wasn't sure she belonged in the Wizarding world at all, and since she had come to Castlewood by way of a very strange set of circumstances, the thought of being validated, in any way at all, made her apprehensive. What if the doctors were wrong? What if what happened to her had nothing to do with magic? What if…?

"Are you all right?"

Anna looked over and found Sarah Bell staring back at her. Anna realized the tension was starting to get to her, and found herself nervously rocking back and forth in her chair.

"Yeah… I'm fine," she lied, trying to embolden herself with a fake smile, "just a little nervous."

"Me too," Sarah mouthed, before turning to face the front again.

The Chancellor continued. "When we call the student's name, we would ask anybody that might know them in the audience, and can vouch for their character of spirit, to please stand as they approach the _Mirror of Enlightenment_. This is done to remind us we are never alone as we search for our future path in life. Who we are, in part, comes from where we've been, and with whom we have shared our lives up to this time. In this way, the past and the future are connected, not only by what we do tonight, but also by the love of those around us. To the new first-year students, the mirror you see before you can only suggest what might be in your future. What you will be — is entirely up to you. We seek only to help you find the right path."

He smiled brightly and held out his hands. "And now, your Union Halls await your joining. Professor Titan; if you would be so kind as to read the names from the _Book of Births_?"

A very thickset man in velvety green robes walked up the platform steps and to a pedestal standing to the side of the mirror. He lifted an enormous, dusty-old book from a shelf below, and carefully laid it on top of the pedestal, its front cover flat. He pulled a monocle out of the pocket of his robe and set it deep into a socket, scrunching his face to hold it in place. He opened the back cover to read the names from the book's last pages. He grumbled, as if to tune his voice, and then spoke over the students below him.

"When I call your name, you will walk up these steps to my left and approach the mirror," he said, in a surprisingly light voice. "You will wait for the mirror to tell you when to enter. Step quickly through the mirror to the other side, and then listen for the Union name to which you have been joined. You must answer any questions put to you while inside the mirror." He coughed slightly to clear his throat again.

"Catherine Osgood!" A tall girl with blonde hair stood in the third row in front of Anna, and made her way toward the steps. They could hear the scratching and scraping of many chairs behind them, and Anna turned to see two older boys standing at the Servers' Union table. They were waving to their sister with enormous pride. A woman in the ceiling above them also stood, obviously the girl's mother; she was also waving merrily. Anna looked around and could see Chancellor Thordarson smiling, and happily gesturing toward the woman in the ceiling to another teacher seated next to him. As the girl made her way up the steps, Professor Titan walked over to the mirror and waved his wand. The mirror rotated a quarter turn so that its thin edge was now facing the audience. The mirror was positioned like a doorway as the girl approached. She stood before the mirror and Anna could see the dim, yellow glow from its center begin to brighten, lighting up the girl's entire front.

"Enter… and prepare to be joined," boomed a powerfully strong voice from within the mirror.

161


	16. Guardian Born

Chapter 16d23 – Guardian Born

Chapter 16

Guardian Born

ONE

A strong gust of wind blew from the mirror's surface as it spoke, swelling the girl's robe out behind her. She looked up again at her mother in the ceiling, who was clutching her hands tight to her chest. The girl stepped forward. Placing her right foot through the surface of the mirror, Anna could immediately see the foot protruding out of the back behind it. It seemed covered in thick, gray smoke as she pushed herself through. When she exited the mirror's backside, her body looked much taller, and completely shrouded in the gray mist. The cloud took the shape of a fully-grown woman, wearing glasses and reading a book.

"She looks like a librarian," said a boy, sitting behind Anna.

"She belongs to… THE SERVERS' UNION!" roared the voice from the mirror, and there was a thunderous cheer from the Servers' table in response. The girl's brothers came forward in jubilation, running to the platform's steps on the left. The gray, ghostly mist began to clear away from the figure standing on the platform, revealing the same young girl who had just entered the mirror. Her robe, however, had changed from all black, to black with royal-blue trim. The girl looked down in amazement at her right arm, which now carried the single blue-embroidered hash mark of a first-year student. She smiled, and then gleefully ran to the steps and into the arms of her waiting brothers. Anna looked up and could see the mother happily crying and waving a handkerchief down at them. Before the cheering had subsided, the man called another name.

"Jordan Humphrey!" bellowed Professor Titan.

A small boy to Anna's right now stood and began to climb the stairs. An older girl from the Searchers' table also stood as the boy stepped onto the platform, and a man with thick arms and a blackened face, wearing a leather apron, caught everybody's eye as he straightened to stand high in the ceiling above them.

"Enter… and prepare to be joined," roared the voice from the mirror again. The boy stepped through. A balloon of gray smoke and mist bellowed out the other side, completely engulfing the boy as he exited. The mist formed itself into that of a huge man, swinging an enormous hammer down upon an anvil. It landed with a loud and deafening _BANG_. The large figure within the mist looked very much like the man in the ceiling, with huge arms and enormously powerful legs. The first-year students, seated in the front row, recoiled as the figure slammed the hammer down once again upon the anvil. _BANG!_

"He belongs to… THE LABORERS' UNION!" echoed the voice from the mirror, rattling the windows of the Rotunda as the students seated in their green and black robes leaped to their feet, cheering and clapping madly.

The mist cleared, and the small boy remained proudly displayed in his green-trimmed robe as his sister raced to the edge of the steps to hug him. Their wizard father, high above, gave them both a satisfied wave before seating himself once again.

"Donna Archer!"

"She belongs to… THE DEFENDERS' UNION!"

"Stephan Lewis!"

"THE DEFENDERS' UNION!"

"Christopher O'Brien!"

"THE SERVERS' UNION!"

One by one, the names were read from the _Book of Births_ and each of the students stepped through the Mirror of Enlightenment.

"THE ARTISIANS' UNION!"

"THE SEACHERS' UNION!"

"THE LABORERS' UNION!"

Anna's heart was pumping so hard, she began to wonder if the people seated around her could hear it. Her face was hot, but her blood felt ice-cold. When would her name be called? Then she noticed something strange about the first-years walking up to the mirror; they seemed to be getting younger and smaller than those called earlier in the evening. Then it dawned on her; something that Captain Dunning had told them earlier. Each student would be called in the order they were listed in the _Book of Births_. Anna's heart sank. From what Doctor Pearl had told them at home, her name was the last entry in the book. That meant Anna would be the last person called. The thought of it made her anxiety double on the spot as she sunk painfully into her chair. The wait was going to be torture.

As the students dwindled down to just a few, one small boy stepped out from behind the mirror within a gigantic, swelling cloud of mist. It reached high into the ceiling, taking up all the space on the wooden platform. The mist formed itself into a tall strapping man with a wand in his outstretched hand, pointing at a monstrous figure forming above him.

"It's a dragon!" somebody yelled from behind them.

Sure enough, towering high into the domed ceiling, looking positively ferocious, stood a huge dragon belching black smoke. Its deafening roar thundered before the future wizard standing bravely at its clawed feet. Tiny Sarah Bell, sitting next to Anna, screamed and covered her face as the beast's smoky-gray wings spread across the entire room and all of the students in the hall gasped and wowed loudly. The wizard shot a bright beam from his wand, hitting the dragon between the eyes; its roar shook the entire building around them as the smoke began to clear.

"He belongs to… THE DEFENDERS' UNION!" Everybody in the Rotunda cheered and whooped loudly.

"Wow! He's going to work with dragons. That's incredible!" said a fourth-year student at the Searchers' table. Anna was sinking still lower into her chair. There were only two of them left seated.

"Sarah Bell!" called Titan from the stage, and Sarah slowly stood. She was visibly trembling, and in a state of fearful collapse. The sight of the dragon clearly must have been too much for her. Anna looked around, hoping to see somebody within the Rotunda or in the ceiling moving to stand for the girl, but she was completely alone. Sarah timidly walked toward the steps, staring back at Anna, her face a study of terrified panic. Anna tried to demonstrate a reassuring expression, but it was difficult to give the girl confidence from across the room. There was a growing murmur through the crowd, and Anna could see Professor Thordarson looking about the Rotunda and then high into the ceiling above them. He stood.

"Is there no one here today who would stand for this delightful young lady?" the crowd was quiet. Everybody was looking around for somebody who might know her. "Nobody?" asked the Chancellor. Anna could see Professor Titan now helping Sarah up the steps and escorting her toward the glowing mirror. She was clutching his arm with all her strength. Anna's stomach was tightening. The scene looked more like the coming of an execution than anything resembling some happy event. The crowd started to murmur as Professor Thordarson reluctantly sat back down again.

"Who is she?"

"I don't know."

"Well… where's her family?"

"She must come from an all-Muggle family," whispered the voices in the crowd.

Anna was almost sick watching poor Sarah, scared beyond standing but for Professor Titan's help, looking into the light of the mirror before her. She held tight to Titan's arm and then buried her face into his robes. Taken aback, the teacher tried to coax the tiny girl forward.

A small voice began to ring inside Anna's head; she could hear her father's words: _We honor the memory of those Graysons who came before us when we help and protect those in trouble or who are less fortunate. _Anna had seen enough; without thinking, she stood.

"I will stand for Sarah Bell!" Anna said confidently. Everybody in the hall went silent, and all of the teachers began to point down at Anna as Professor Thordarson looked up. Would he tell her to sit down? Would he demand Sarah's proper family come forward before she was joined? Would he send Sarah home? Would he escort Anna out the door and throw her into the moat?

The old wizard was still for a moment, staring appraisingly at Anna standing alone for the girl. The Chancellor suddenly smiled broadly.

"Thank you, my dear. And I am sure Miss Bell thanks you as well." Sarah peeked up from Professor Titan's arm to see Anna smiling back at her.

"Go ahead, Sarah. You can do it," Anna motioned to her, confidently. Sarah looked up and into the mirror once again.

"Enter… and prepare to be joined," roared the voice from the mirror. Sarah's silky blonde hair blew back; her eyes squinted from the mirror's breath. Professor Titan leaned in and softly whispered something into her ear. She looked at Anna again.

"Go on. You can do it. Just walk straight through. Go on…" Anna said, motioning her forward once more. Sarah finally released the teacher's arm and Professor Titan cautiously backed away. She stood alone in front of the mirror, while the light from within began to brighten.

"ENTER!" it shouted.

Sarah looked at Anna one last time. She suddenly stiffened, and then, without another moment of hesitation, she stepped through. A wave of smoke accumulated on the other side to show a tall, beautifully slender woman, feeding birds from her hand.

"She belongs to… THE SERVERS' UNION!"

The entire Rotunda erupted into a loud roar of cheering applause. Muggle family or not, Sarah Bell had done it. As the smoke cleared around her, Sarah looked down to find the royal blue colors of the Servers' Union embroidered on her sleeve, and even some of the Crimson Guards, standing stiffly against the upper balcony, were clapping for the courage displayed by this tiny young girl. Sarah looked over to see Anna waiting for her at the steps, and she joyfully ran to the side and into Anna's waiting arms.

"Well done, Sarah!" Anna said, brushing the girl's blonde hair out of her face. "Very well done, indeed."

Sarah beamed, and then looked around to find Eric and some of the other students from the Servers' Union walking up to greet her.

"Anna Grayson!" yelled Professor Titan. Anna looked up in surprise. In all of the excitement, she had completely forgotten it was now her turn to enter the mirror. She walked to the other side of the platform and up the stairs. She could hear several students whispering in the hall around her.

"Look how big she is!"

"She's a first-year?"

"No way! She looks a lot older than that."

"She looks like a teenager to me. What's going on?"

Anna was so nervous her heart seemed to skip several beats as she moved toward the mirror. As Professor Titan escorted her forward, Anna could hear the scrapping of many chairs in the Rotunda below her. She looked over in time to see Eric coming around the corner of the table, and the entire Server Union strained their necks to see whom it was he was standing for with obvious pride. Tencha and Dowla were also standing at the Searcher's table, and Damon could be seen leisurely, if not reluctantly, getting to his feet among the Defenders. The Grayson name was obviously well known by the academy faculty, and seeing so many Graysons moving to stand immediately gathered their attention. There was movement above her, and Anna could now see her father and Mrs. McConnell standing in the front row of their seats, their images strangely bent against the brick and mortar of the ceiling. Gwen was also standing at the Artisan's table, and Anna couldn't help smiling at the strong show of support all around her.

Still, one more person chose to stand. Little Sarah Bell was now standing next to Eric among the other Servers. Smiling brightly, she was motioning Anna forward. "Go ahead," she mouthed. Anna nodded before turning to look deep into the mirror's light.

"Enter… and prepare to be joined," bellowed the voice from the mirror.

Its breath was hot. It swirled Anna's hair up and around her head, blowing her robes tight against her chest. Anna took a deep breath, lifted up the hem of her robes, and then stepped over the bottom edge of the frame and into the mirror.

Immediately, Anna felt her balance fall away, as if she had missed the landing at the bottom of some darkened staircase. She was spinning and turning around over and over, the hot wind from the mirror blowing wildly all about her. _Was this normal? Is this what everybody else experienced while inside the mirror?_ _What was happening?_ She finally stopped spinning and opened her eyes.

She found herself lying flat upon a bright white floor. Anna tried to stand and then stumbled slightly from a sudden twang of dizziness. Seeking to recover her balance, she immediately reached out for something to lean on, but found nothing and fell to the floor again. She looked up. There were no walls in this strange place. No ceiling above her; just whiteness, a kind of snowy emptiness everywhere.

"Where am I?" she said, pressing her body up from the floor once again to look around.

"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" Nothing. _This is really weird,_ Anna thought, trying to gather her bearings. She stood again and walked forward, trying to center upon anything in her line of sight that might help her to focus. It was void, complete, and total blankness.

"Hello…?" she called again.

"_Comitis!" _

Anna wheeled around. _Was that a voice?_ She was sure she heard it. _It said… something. It said,_ "What…?" Anna replied, listening hard.

"_Hideux!"_

There it was again. But this time, it was different; another voice, separate from the first.

"I'm sorry?" Anna said, concentrating hard. Then she heard them, softly at first, but growing louder with each passing second. Voices, too numerous to count, began whispering all around her. It sounded like a crowd slowly making their way toward her.

"_Polleo" "Can it" "Fortis" "be?" _They were growing louder now.

"Excuse me? Where are you? Can you help me?"

"_Charmant…" "After all…" "der Begleiter"_

There were too many voices, so many languages, whispering and talking to each other, their words mixing and mingling into a nonstop soup of buzzing pressure.

"_these years…" "the Dark Lord…" "… a child… friend or foe to the light?"_

Suddenly, there was a loud scream, _"__Kalandomõ!"_

"_Viscus __edo edi essum!__"_

Anna fell to her knees and put her hands to her ears. The voices were too loud, too many people yelling and screaming at once. She couldn't hear herself think. She didn't understand. She couldn't comprehend what they were saying.

"Stop!" She screamed. Suddenly, it all went quiet.

Finally, a single voice spoke from out of the blankness. _"Welcome, Guardian!"_

Anna slowly lifted her hands away from her ears and looked around.

"Hello?" she replied, checking her ability to speak.

"_Welcome… Anna Grayson,"_ the voice said, speaking to her like an old friend.

"Thank you… I think…" Anna countered meekly. "What is this place?" she asked the voice. "Where am I?"

"_You are among friends, Sentinel. We are part of the community you seek to serve."_

"The what? I don't understand. Look… I was at Castlewood, walking through the Mirror of Enlightenment, and then something happened and I ended up here instead. I need to get back to the school and to my family. They'll be worried when they see I've disappeared." Anna could hear the far off whispering starting to rumble forward once again, even before she had finished her sentence.

"_It must be worse than we thought… to have such as this. Where has it been?"_ a voice said somewhere high above her.

"I'm sorry?" Anna started to say. "I can't hear what you…"

"_We are they whom you have been sent to protect,"_ said the singular voice to Anna once again.

Anna's frustration was building. It seemed to her the last few days had only created confusion and uncertainty, and now she was lost. She didn't know where she was or why she was here. She could feel the temples in the sides of her head throbbing as the whispering continued on and on.

"Stop it! I… I don't understand you. What do you want from me? Tell me who you people are. Tell me what you want!"

"_Lejárónyílás" "Comitis" "Avaleur" "…friend to the beasts in the field…"_

There was a pause, and then,_ "Tell us, Guardian. Where you have been?"_

"Where have I been? What do you mean? You mean… today? Where would you have me start? I…"

"_From your birth,"_ the voice interrupted.

"From my birth?" Anna repeated in stunned alarm. "Since I was born?" Her aggravation was steadily building. "I've been with my father and family, of course." The whispers began again.

"Listen — I need to get out of here. My family will be…"

"_You are not what was intended!"_

Anna's blood suddenly froze. She didn't like the sound of that remark; it had the ring of something painfully familiar. The words cut like a knife into her heart, because, deep down, she knew it was true. Until only recently, she had never been what anybody intended, not to her father or her family. Anna started to string some of the comments and words from the voices together, thinking carefully about her next question.

How would they, whoever or whatever they were, have anything to do with her life? It was impossible, yet, they were acting as if they had some knowledge of her past. Anna felt like a fish contemplating a hooked worm, but decided to go ahead and bite anyway.

"What were your intentions for me, then?" Anna knew the question was preposterous, but she found herself waiting fearfully, her breathing suddenly put on hold.

"_Our intension… was to halt the chaos… the madness to come."_

These words surprised Anna, for she had definitely heard them once before, from the strange visitor in her bedroom. Anna stepped forward warily.

"Are you the ghost that came to visit me twice last week?" She frowned suspiciously, waiting for a reply.

"_She is speaking of the ally — the murdered one,"_ said a whispered voice in the background.

Anna's eyes widened. "Yes! Yes… the ally. That's what it called itself. Is the ally among you here?"

Another pause and then,_ "The ally is not part of what is, child. She is not here."_

"She?" _So, the ally was a woman._ Did she hear one of them say… she had been murdered? Anna thought again, choosing her questions carefully like a person with a limited number to ask.

"_C__reatura__" "…á__llat,"_ the voices continued.

"What is… a Guardian?" Anna asked them.

"_She has been altered from what was intended." _

"_Creatura" _

"_állat"_

"_Háztartási alkalmazott mágikus, szép lány"_

Anna thought she heard her father's voice in the distance. "There has always been something special about you, Anna, when it comes to the creatures and animals around us…"

"Daddy?" Anna called. "Are you there?"

"_Touch the child's memories,"_ said a whisper from the blankness above.

"_Nah! Borzalmas! Kalandomõ leölés támadható!"_

"_Lejárónyílás szép lány"_

The voices seemed to be arguing with one another and, try as she did, Anna couldn't seem to get anybody's attention. After several attempts to interrupt their squabbling, Anna sighed ruefully and sat down.

"This could take a while," she said irritably.

TWO

Back in the Rotunda, the scene had become tense. Anna had completely, and it would seem totally unexpectedly, disappeared. While everybody else had walked straight through the Mirror of Enlightenment, it had been more than ten minutes now since Anna had entered the glass. Professor Titan himself had walked through the mirror shortly after Anna, looking to find her without a sound or response from the mirror at all. Since that time, however, the glass had gone completely solid, and looked just as normal as any other mirror that might have hung within the castle. Some of the other teachers had joined Titan on the platform with their wands out, working to get a response from the mirror. Professor Thordarson was surprisingly quiet, still sitting in his chair in the observation box. Captain Dunning was now by his side.

"Chancellor, what are we to make of this?" asked Dunning. "Where has the girl gone?"

"Patience, my good Captain… patience."

"So… you do expect the girl to return?" Thordarson did not answer. He leaned forward to look up at the ceiling toward Mister Grayson.

In his office back at the estate, Mister Grayson and Mrs. McConnell stood motionless in the dark in front of an emerald green fire. They were watching the events unfolding in the Rotunda within the flames. Although it was difficult for Mister Grayson, he could tell from the calm reaction of the Chancellor below him that it wouldn't be proper to panic yet. Although he tried to display the same coolness as Thordarson for the benefit of his other children, it didn't stop Anna's father from saying a quiet prayer to himself.

"What should we do, Boris?" asked Mrs. McConnell, who was just as confused as everybody else about what was happening. Looking down once more at the Chancellor leaning up to see him, Mister Grayson sat back down in his chair.

"Patience…" he said smoothly. The Chancellor smiled, and then leaned back to settle himself once again.

Unfortunately, patience was not a virtue the other Graysons possessed. Eric, Tencha, Dowla, and Damon were now on the platform talking to the other teachers, and closely inspecting the mirror on all sides. After a while, Gwen and Sarah Bell also joined them.

"Where the hell is she?" Eric demanded. He had his wand out now, his thoughts pondering the possibility that some kind of sneak-attack had been carried out upon his family. Damon was discussing the problem coolly and rather analytically with some of the other teachers around him. The four girls were huddled together, trying to grasp what was happening.

"You… Sarah is it?" asked Dowla, pointing at Sarah Bell. "When you walked through the mirror, did anything strange happen to you?"

Sarah spoke softly. "Well… I was inside for about thirty seconds. There were these voices, but they only asked me one question. They wanted to know if I preferred large or small animals." Sarah looked worriedly up at the mirror. "I hope I didn't break it."

"Don't be silly, Sarah," said Gwen, who had already introduced herself to Anna's new friend. "Nothing you might have done could have caused this."

As for Eric, panic was now beginning to settle in. It had been nearly twenty minutes since Anna's disappearance and he was looking for answers. He walked over to the Chancellor's box.

"Professor Thordarson, I demand to know what's going on. Where is my sister? Where is Anna?" Thordarson did not answer. He simply leaned forward again to look into the ceiling. Eric turned to look up at his father as well, and saw Mister Grayson calmly holding up a reassuring hand toward him. Eric could see Mrs. McConnell leaning in to speak to their father, but he wasn't paying any attention to her.

"Have patience, Eric… please. Give it a little more time," Thordarson's voice said behind him. The old wizard was settled comfortably back in his chair once more.

"But how long?" Eric said softly, glaring worriedly at the mirror. "How long must we wait before doing something?"

"So, there's a delay between what actually happens to somebody walking into the mirror and what everybody else sees on the outside?" asked Dowla, responding to Sarah's comments. "But I don't remember anything like that when I was joined."

"I do. The same thing happened to me when I walked through," Tencha interjected. "It felt like I was inside for about two minutes, answering a bunch of questions. But after I came out, everybody told me later that it looked like I had walked straight through. They didn't see any delay at all."

"My God," Gwen moaned, a frightening thought suddenly passing through her mind. "If your delay was two minutes without any perceivable difference from the outside… then… how long has Anna been in there?"

"About thirty minutes now," Dowla replied, looking at her watch.

"No! I mean for Anna… inside the mirror?"

"Oh my…" Tencha said, comprehendingly. "To Anna… it must seem like…"

"FOUR DAYS!" Anna screamed at the whispering voices around her within the mirror. "I've been in here for four days… and I still don't understand anything more of what you want than when I first arrived! Am I your prisoner? Am I never to leave this horrible place?" Anna was in tears. The same aggravating questions where being asked of her over and over again.

"_What changed you, Guardian?"_

"_Is the rage within the world building? Why were you brought out of hiding?"_

"_How will you protect us?"_

"_We are looking for the beast that altered you? Where is it?"_

Over and over they asked, and never did they answer any of Anna's questions. In a fit of rage, Anna decided to stop answering their questions, and started walking into the blank distances around her. She must have walked for miles, but her position never seemed to change, and the voices followed her relentlessly. Eventually she stopped asking anything of her captors, and resorted instead to pleading and begging for her freedom.

Anna slumped to the floor once again, as the whispers continued around her, constantly debating and squabbling between them. Lying on her back, she started dreaming about color, and what it must have been like to see a blue sky and feel the warm sunshine on her face. She longed to see and sleep in darkness again. She slammed her fists into the thick parts of her legs in frustration. At least the self-induced pain shooting through her brain gave her some form of input, something different from the insane blankness surrounding her. She knew if she stayed in this place much longer, she would loose her mind. She had to keep her focus; concentrate on the faces of her family and her distant home.

All at once, Anna started to laugh. For a full minute, she laughed until tears were streaming down her cheeks and face. Finally, she rolled onto her side on the floor to catch her breath, still giggling. Through all of the madness, one funny thought had breached the nearly impenetrable frustration clouding her mind.

"You know…" she said, smiling and sitting up sleepily to look around her. "Eventually, I'm going to need to use the bathroom."

Anna's smile turned cold as she stood once again and screamed at the top of her lungs into the void, "And you can just imagine what that's going to do to your nice — clean — FLOORS!"

The situation in the Rotunda was now becoming desperate. It had been nearly an hour, and even Mister Grayson was motioning for a moment of the Chancellor's time from the ceiling above. The buzzing within the Rotunda now sounded like a school auditorium. Nobody knew what was going to happen next.

"Quiet!" bellowed Captain Dunning, and the room instantly fell silent as he walked over to the mirror. "Listen!" he said, and everybody on the platform strained to hear. A low rumble, like rolling thunder in the far off distance, was coming from the surface of the mirror. The sound increased and now everybody could see the tiniest spot of light blooming from the center of the glass. It was growing.

Eric charged forward. "What have you done with my sister?" he demanded. There was no reply as the light continually grew in size and intensity.

Inside the mirror, Anna could now hear the rumble too. It woke her up from the floor, and she looked around in shock to see a billowing storm gathering over her head. The clouds were growing darker, and swirls of mist were dancing all around. Soundless lightning streaked across the blackened sky, burning her eyes.

"What's happening?" Anna yelled through the now howling wind.

From the dark sky above, a chorus of voices finally spoke in unison. _"We have decided to keep you as you are, Guardian. Time will not allow us to start anew. You will continue in the Order of those we sent in centuries past. We are part of the magic all around you, and seek your guidance and protection from the destruction of those who would destroy all in their fight. But you have been altered apart from what we helped to bring about at your birth, and so we have a plan to enlist the assistance of others to help you in your noble cause. Together, you will protect us from the ravages of chaos. But be warned. We have located the beast that altered you from what was intended."_

Anna frowned. She didn't understand what they were telling her. What did they mean she had been altered? Then an idea swiftly came to her, and her eyes widened with fear.

"Do you mean the Lethifold… the thing living inside of me?" she asked frantically.

"_No, Guardian. That creature is merely a manifestation, an understanding, of what you have once come to know through physical contact. The beast that altered you is a terribly evil thing that looks to escape from a prison of its own making. It will surely kill you for its master's sake if given a chance and learns of your existence." _

"But why? Why would such a thing try to kill me? What is it?" asked Anna in surprise. She could feel her concentration failing her. Fatigue and the lack of sleep were hampering her ability to understand what they were saying. "Who is its master?"

"_The Dark Lord is gathering strength, and so are his minions in hiding everywhere. Fear not. We will serve you now in ways like no other since the falcon flew among your kind, and you will serve us with your strength and courage. You will turn what has been done to you against the madness. The beasts, creatures, places, and the things of magic are now part of your family. You are one with us, Anna Grayson. Faith… little one; keep it close to your heart. Good luck, Guardian. Go… and be vigilant!"_

And with these final words, Anna saw a flash of yellow light and a small hole opening before her. Anna recognized the swirl, as the same light within the surface of the mirror that had first brought her to the emptiness that had become her prison.

"_Exit… and prepare to be joined!"_ yelled the mirror. Anna could see several teachers back at the school walking on the platform through the hole in front of her.

On the other side, smoke began to swell out the back of the mirror as it had done for the other students. Professor Thordarson and Mister Grayson stood and watched in amazement as the smoke turned purple before their eyes.

"Come on, Anna!" Eric yelled. "Get out of there! Come on!"

Anna stood at the exit ready to step through when a blast of scorching wind suddenly pushed her forward. Eric saw something shoot out from the back of the mirror and onto the floor at his feet. The heat from the body was tremendous, and although he could see it was Anna lying on the floor below him, he was forced to back away from the blistering wave of hot air hitting him full in the face.

Anna was out. Finally, she was free. She stood and looked up. She couldn't hear anything, but she could see hundreds of students standing and looking up at her in astonished alarm. They were pointing and … there was something else. Anna could now hear them screaming. Loud shrieks of panic were coming in from all around her. Anna heard popping noises, and the sound of several blasts behind her. She turned to see several blurry images, teachers, and Crimson Guards, shooting spells of water at her with their wands. The jets of water transformed into purple clouds of steam five feet in front of her.

_What are they doing? Why are they attacking me?_ Anna heard a familiar voice screaming at her and she turned to find Eric trying to throw his robes over her head. She watched the garment float toward her and then instantly explode into flames. She could see Tencha and Dowla, frozen in shock, their hands covering their mouths in horror. Gwen was clutching Sarah tightly and covering the little girl's eyes. _What was happening?_

Anna finally turned and saw her own image standing in the back of the Mirror of Enlightenment. What she saw horrified her . Purple flames engulfed her entire body . She was on fire. The inferno that was her body, shot high into the air above her, and only one thought came into Anna's mind: She was going to die. After everything she had been through over these last several days - she was going to die here, like this, in front of her family. She closed her eyes and prayed for a quick end, and then she realized… _there was no pain_. The flames billowing forth from her body did not burn her skin. In fact, it felt no worse than a soft sweater on a warm summer's day.

The Rotunda was now in complete and screaming chaos. The Chancellor stood and began to fire water spells at Anna from the orb on his staff, but not even the greatest wizard in all the Americas could douse the flames engulfing the girl now.

Mister Grayson was screaming into the fireplace from his home. "Somebody, do something! Save her — oh, my God — save her!"

"She belongs to… US!" boomed the voice from the mirror. With these words, Anna was sucked back into the glass once again and quickly out the other side in front.

"She belongs to… MAGIC!" roared the mirror.

The flames surrounding Anna's body were gone now. Only the thick, misty smoke remained. It began to twist and turn, forming itself into the image of a tall woman, staring blankly out into the Rotunda. The mist surrounding the image of the future Anna Grayson continued to change and distort, and then a huge beast, a giant leopard, formed, which sat slowly down on her right side. The gigantic cat roared, shaking the windows around the Rotunda. Its breath was that of something rancid and putrid, like death in a freshly opened grave.

"What is that thing?" shouted a seventh year, stumbling backwards at the Defenders' table.

"A Nundu!" replied a Searcher from the other side. "Its breath is poisonous… do not breathe it!"

More images began to form around Anna. A goblet of fire sat on the floor at her feet with a unicorn standing above it. The icons of several magical places filled the spaces behind her, floating wands, brooms, orbs, crystals, and stars swirled above her head. Anna's ghostly image wore a tall witches' hat with the markings of several constellations woven upon it. Finally, an amulet formed around her neck with a crest and coats of arms containing two dragons, one black, and the other white, facing each other with a sword separating them in the middle.

The mirror roared again. "She is… A GUARDIAN! SITHMAITH! Only those willing to sacrifice much may serve under this banner! But she is unprepared… you must… help her."

With these final words, the mirror's yellow light went out and the smoke surrounding Anna began to fade. As the purple swirls slowly evaporated, they revealed Anna lying on the floor in a crumbled heap. Eric ran over to her and gently lifted her head up and onto his lap.

"Anna!" He felt for a pulse in her neck and listened closely to her breathing. "She's breathing, she's all right! Anna! Wake up… please open your eyes. It's me; it's Eric. Can you hear me? Anna!" Eric shook his sister and then cautiously inspected her arms and legs for burns. He was relieved to see there were none. Anna slowly opened her eyes and stared up at Eric and the others standing above her.

"Let's get her to her feet," said a warm voice from behind them. It was Professor Thordarson. "I don't sense any permanent physical damage. She should be all right. Come now… gently." Eric and Titan helped Anna to stand.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Thordarson asked her tenderly, smoothing Anna's hair and inspecting her body for injuries.

Anna wobbled a little, coughed, and rubbed her eyes. "I… I think so," she said, weakly.

Eric wasn't so sure. "Anna, I can't believe this. It looked like you were on fire. What the heck happened to you in there? We were about to take that mirror apart!"

"I wish you had. How long was I gone? Did everybody wait all that time for me here?" asked Anna, looking in amazement at the large crowd still standing in the Rotunda.

"Over an hour!" said Dowla, glancing again at her watch.

"An hour?" Anna yelped. "No! That's impossible. It was days… nearly a week! There were these voices. They wouldn't let me sleep. They kept asking me these stupid questions about my birth… and…"

"Questions? What kind of questions?" Eric asked, angrily.

"That's enough for now," Professor Thordarson pronounced calmingly. "I think we had better get Anna to the hospital floor and have Doctor Pearl take a look at her. No more questions now. Captain Dunning, please make sure she gets a proper escort. And Eric, I think it would be sensible if your family went with her as well."

The Chancellor then turned and walked to the edge of the platform to speak to the crowd. "She's all right. She's going to be fine!" he announced to the students in a high voice. The Rotunda erupted into happy hoots and cheerful clapping. The Chancellor looked up into the ceiling at Mister Grayson and waved merrily back to him, giving Anna's father the assurance he needed to know that his daughter was unharmed.

Mister Grayson fell back down into his chair at home. "Thank God," he said in relief.

Professor Thordarson raised his arms to the crowd once again. "Circumstances being what they are, I believe it proper to end the evening here. We will hold off announcing the new Union Knights and the student president until tomorrow night at the start of term banquet. Please make your way back to your Union Halls. I would ask our seniors to pair up with our new first-years, and make sure they get their room assignments and day-one schedules. Good night, everybody. We'll see you all again tomorrow evening. Sleep tight!" he said, amusingly.

"What's that?" asked Professor Titan, who was inspecting Anna's robe. Anna looked down and was surprised to see a single colored hash mark on her right sleeve.

"It's purple!" said Gwen in amazement.

"Purple? But we don't have any Union hoisting that color," said Captain Dunning, admonishingly. "Wait a minute!" He peered in closely at the new coat of arms upon Anna's chest. "I've never seen a crest like that before. What do you make of it, Professor Thordarson?"

The Chancellor stepped in to take a look. The crest carried the same double dragons and sword seen in the clouded amulet around Anna's neck when she first came out of the mirror.

"Hmmm, yes… I see," said Thordarson. He inspected the markings on the badge and then lifted Anna's arm to examine the purple colors embroidered on her robe. "Interesting… very interesting, indeed," the wizard mumbled evasively.

"What does it mean, sir?" asked Dunning.

"Well, it would mean… we have all just witnessed the founding of a new Hall at Castlewood."

"What?" several people wowed together.

"Yes," said the old wizard flippantly. "It would seem there are six unions now among us: The Searchers, the Servers, the Laborers, the Artisans, the Defenders… and now… the Guardians."

174


	17. The Order of Merlin

Chapter 17d28 — The Order of Merlin

Chapter 17

The Order of Merlin

Captain Dunning and the rest of the Graysons were escorting Anna to the fourth floor hospital. Although Eric was very concerned about what had happened to her, Anna was almost giddy about finally being out of the mirror.

"Heck of a first day there, Anna," Dowla said, nosily trying to start a conversation as they walked.

"Yeah, I suppose. Oh… it feels so good to be out of there!" Anna replied, doing a happy little twirl in the hallway.

"You said you were asked a lot of questions inside the mirror. What did it ask you?"

"You mean, 'What did _they_ ask me?'"

"What?"

"_They_ asked me," Anna repeated. "There was more than one voice. Most of what they asked I couldn't tell you, because there were so many different languages. But the weirdest questions were things like: Where have you been? And… where have you been hiding?" she said, in a deep mocking voice. "And, what changed you?"

"What changed you? I don't understand. What does that mean?"

"STOP!" hollered Captain Dunning, who halted in front of them. "The Chancellor said no questions tonight."

"We can certainly talk to our own sister," Dowla replied angrily.

"Talk, yes… question, no."

"Now wait just a minute, Captain," Eric began, but Dunning immediately pointed a warning finger directly at him.

"Would you like to be sent back the way you came?" the Captain sneered. There was an angry, long pause as the two stared at each other.

"I would escort my sister to the hospital floor — if you don't mind," Eric snapped back.

"Then you'll do it — quietly!" Eric fell silent. Dunning gave a half grin of satisfaction, looked at Anna, and then turned to lead them onward.

"Something between you two I should know about?" Anna whispered to Eric.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." They eventually arrived at the fourth floor where Doctor Pearl, the academy healer, was waiting for them.

"Well… hello again, dearie. I heard what happened in the Rotunda. Please… come in," she said, motioning Anna through the door and onto the hospital floor. Dunning and the rest of Anna's family followed her in.

The doctor asked Anna to change into a hospital gown before proceeding with her examination behind a closed curtain. Anna was relieved to see Doctor Pearl once again after spending the whole day together during her magical tests at the estate. After about thirty minutes, Doctor Pearl ripped the curtain back and the Graysons saw Anna sitting up in a bed. The doctor had finished her examination, but still looked very concerned.

"Well, there do not seem to be any physical injuries at all. Still, I'd like to keep her here on the hospital floor for the night, just to be safe," she suggested worriedly.

"Is that really necessary, Doctor?" asked Tencha. "I mean… she looks all right to me."

"Looks can be deceiving, my dear. Your sister has gone through quite a shock, and while I don't see any injuries…"

"It seems a reasonable precaution, Doctor," Eric agreed, staring at Anna who was now looking very comfortable in the bed. "How about it, Anna? Would you mind staying with Doctor Pearl just for tonight?"

"Are you kidding me?" Anna said, smiling. "I'm so tired, I'd like to see any of you tear me out of this nice comfy bed," she cooed, patting and smoothing the blankets around her. Although everybody laughed, Anna was quite serious. She was overwhelmed by the color and texture of everything around her. After nearly a week of living within the blankness of the Mirror of Enlightenment, Anna was happy to be anywhere other than where she had been.

"I must return to my duties," said Dunning in a rather disinterested tone, "but I have informed Doctor Pearl of the Chancellor's order not to question this student tonight," he added, suspiciously.

"Quite right," agreed Pearl. Her blue eyes looked entirely black, magnified to the size of dish plates through her thick glasses. "This girl needs rest and not an interrogation. Any questions can wait for the morning."

Dunning turned to Eric. "I suppose it isn't too early to offer my congratulations," he said in a very stiff manner.

"Oh… I guess not… thank you," Eric replied, looking a little surprised.

"I realize the announcement has been put off until tomorrow," the captain said, "but I'd like to get an early start and meet with you the following morning if you don't have any objections."

"No… none at all. I… ah… look forward to it."

"Excellent." Dunning started to head for the door. As he passed the twins, he slowed and then turned to face Eric again. "Mr. Grayson, you have been entrusted with a great deal of responsibility this year. That being the case, I expect the rest of your family to carry themselves properly," he paused to glare at Tencha and Dowla, "and stay out of any trouble that might lead to difficulties with our working together."

Tencha, looking very affronted, crossed her arms indignantly. Dowla, however, was much more vocal in her response.

"Oh, please… when are you going to let it go, Dunning? It was an accident. She just got a little wet, that's all."

"That's Captain Dunning to you, Miss Grayson. And I do not share your summation of the events from last year at all. In my mind, you were both involved in a purposeful and malicious attack on another student. If I had had my way, you both would have been expelled."

"Oh… no doubt," Tencha snapped back, angrily.

"Captain, I can assure you, my family won't be causing you any trouble," Eric said, interjecting himself into the argument. "My father has personally given his word to the Chancellor."

"Yes…so I've heard," replied Dunning skeptically. He turned to glare at the twins again. "Well… on your father's word, then; let us hope that will be enough. We shall see." He stepped aside and headed toward the exit.

"Oh, and… Captain," Eric called, and Dunning turned again. "Only my father is to be called Mister Grayson. Despite the troubles of last year, I was hoping you and I could form a friendlier relationship… for the benefit of all the students this year. In light of this common goal, I'd favor you call me familiar and use my given name. I would prefer Eric, if you don't mind."

Captain Dunning tried to force a polite smile. "In fact, I do mind. I would prefer a more business-like relationship. I find this method easier to manage…" he paused to look at the twins again, "when complications arise." Tencha stepped forward, clearly looking to tell Dunning off.

"Tencha! Stop!" bellowed Eric before looking sorrowfully back to Dunning once more. "You're making this more difficult than it has to be, sir."

Dunning turned serious. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but you must understand… that I have more experience in these matters than you, and I think I value the ways that work best. Just _Grayson_ then? Will that suffice?"

Eric glanced downward at his feet, looking somewhat frustrated. "That will do. Thank you, Captain."

"Good, I look forward to our first meeting, then. Goodnight, Grayson." And with that, Captain Dunning left the room.

Dowla immediately moved forward, looking very angry. "I'm not going to put up with that man's crap this year, Eric, with his stupid smirks and implied remarks. I'm warning you, dear brother, you'd better keep that dog on a short leash or I'm gonna…"

"And what did you expect?" Eric interrupted. "After all… in his mind, you attacked the girl."

"Oh… that's hogwash, you know better than that!" Dowla snapped back, getting angrier by the second.

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on?" Anna broke in from her bed. "Eric, from the top, why was Captain Dunning congratulating you?" Eric glanced over to Anna, his expression changing to a form of subdued embarrassment.

"Eric has been named the new Castlewood Student President," Damon said, enviously.

"Eric! Really?" said Anna, in complete surprise. "That's fantastic! Congratulations!"

"Yep," said Tencha, her tone quickly becoming light, "that's our brother! The _Big Kahoona_, the _Grand Pooba_, the big and beefy enchilada!" Everybody laughed.

"Show her, Eric!" said Dowla, shoving their brother toward Anna's bed.

Eric slowly reached into his robes and pulled out a heavy silver chain with a round amulet encircling one very large ruby in its center. There were words engraved around the outer edge that said: 'Castlewood Student President, Leader of the Union Knights'.

"Wow! Now that's an awesome bangle there," said Anna, taking the amulet in her hand. "And heavy too; that's sure to get you a date for the prom!"

"The what?" Eric said, unknowingly.

"Never mind," Anna giggled. "Eric, this is great — you are the man! But I thought they were going to hold off the announcement of Student President until tomorrow night?"

"Well… that's true. So we have to keep quiet about this until the start of term banquet tomorrow. I guess Professor Thordarson went ahead and told father about it after they finished discussing your test results last week. Professor Titan gave me the amulet tonight after the Joining Ceremony ended. I guess they felt I had lost my moment in the sun for some reason."

"Daddy must be very proud," Anna said, smiling broadly.

"And why not? Eric's been a Knight in the Sever Union for the last two years. He's the top student, and even plays a mean game of Quitick when he has to," Dowla said proudly.

"Quidditch!" said Eric and Damon together.

"Whatever!" Dowla quipped, rolling her eyes. "The point is — Eric deserves it!"

"Nobody deserves anything," Damon retorted. "He's earned it!"

"It doesn't work that way," Eric said, looking uncharacteristically embarrassed and awkward again. "While it's true good grades and strong leadership skills can help… it's ultimately up to the faculty to decide who the Student President will be. I just hope I'm up for the job. It's a lot of responsibility, and I'll still need to keep my grades up if I'm going to be allowed to continue my studies to be an MBC healer next year."

"No problem," Tencha said insipidly. "If you need any help putting people in line, just give us a call. I'm sure Damon wouldn't mind stepping into your robes when needed." Damon smiled, the expected sparkle of hungrily enthusiasm dancing merrily in his eyes.

"That's especially true with Dunning," Damon added, with a sneer. "That pompous ass has been asking for it since last year. I don't know how you expect to work with him."

"What exactly do the two of you have to do?" asked Anna.

"Well… the Student President and the Captain of the Guard are joined at the hip for most of the year," Eric explained. "They work together to ensure the student events are scheduled properly, and the necessary security measures are constantly monitored. They also work with the faculty to make certain the Union Knights get everything they need for the rest the students."

"So you're, like… the head Knight?" asked Anna.

"Yes… you could say that, but security is the big thing, and that's why I have to find a way to get along with Dunning…" Eric looked at the twins, "despite the problems of last year. It's a good thing the Captain of the Guard doesn't have veto power over who gets to be Student President. I honestly think he despises our family after what you two did last year."

"What happened?" asked Anna. "The only thing daddy would say was that the two of you threw somebody into the moat."

"That's not what happened!" blurted Tencha. "It was an accident… plain and simple. Was it our fault Debbie-D's a clumsy oaf?"

"Oh yeah… sure, it was an accident," Damon chuckled, sarcastically. The twins scowled at him. "Look, if you couldn't convince me at the time, you never had a chance with Dunning." Damon looked at Anna and could see she still looked confused. "These two pranksters," he said, pointing at the twins "got tired of Debbie Dunning following them around all the time."

"Debbie Dunning?" asked Anna in surprise. "Any relation to…"

"His sister!" Tencha finished. "Yeah, Debbie Dunning is Captain Dunning's younger sister. She's a fourth-year; and ever since her brother was named Captain of the Guard two years ago, little Miss Debbie-do-right has taken it upon herself to become the new Castlewood sheriff around here."

"She was always lurking about, looking for rule-breakers, and then turning them in to her crimson jack-boot Nazi of a brother," added Dowla. "I can't tell you how many times we caught her following us around the castle, trying to catch us doing something wrong."

"With good reason, most of the time," Damon added with a smirk.

"Oh — shut-up, Damon," retorted Dowla.

"Anyway, that's when these two decided to chuck her into the moat," Damon continued.

"Mouth closed, Damon. That's what shut-up means," Tencha said, angrily. "Besides, the little monster deserved what she got. We were just on our way to Spellsburg to get something to eat, when we saw the little _murt_ spying on us, lurking around the corners like the stupid little rat she is."

"So?" Anna said, excitedly. "What did you do?" Tencha smiled, and then sat down at the corner of Anna's bed, leaning in eagerly to tell.

"Well, we turned the tables on the little snoop," she giggled in a way that Anna had become very accustom to when the twins were up to no good. Tencha continued. "We hid in the bushes on the other side of the drawbridge and waited for her to follow us out."

"And… did she follow you?"

"Of course; the little hound-dog had the scent and was fast on our trail. So, Dowla cast a brilliant little spell to… ah… well… to take care of the problem." Anna looked at Dowla, who was smiling broadly, a vicious glint of satisfaction forming in her eyes.

"It was nothing, really. I just… shrunk the drawbridge."

Anna looked up in surprise. "You did… what?"

"I shrunk it! Took it down from its normal width to… oh… I don't know," she looked at Tencha, "what would you say? About six inches?"

"Oh, no!" Anna said, moving her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Oh, yeah! It was great," Tencha said evilly. "You should have seen the pudgy, stupid thing dancing around on that skinny little board of a crossing, screaming her big, fat curly head off. She was a sight!" Anna started bursting out laughing.

"Yes, and… what they didn't tell you was they also removed the railings on the bridge as well," Eric added with a frown. "The poor girl toppled headlong into the drink." He looked at the twins disapprovingly. "She could have drowned."

"Oh, my God!" Anna squealed, still smiling.

"No big deal," said Dowla. "She was never in any real danger. Besides… nobody gave us any credit for taking the time to fish her out before the grindylows had a chance to grab her. No one said, 'Hey, thanks for doing that!'"

"Gee… I wonder why?" said Damon, smirking again.

"Anyway… that's why Dunnings has it in for us. Last year's Student President handed down a month's detention for our sentence, but Dunning insisted that we be expelled. So when the President and Dunning got together to work out their differences, they mutually agreed to suspend us for the rest of the term. That's when Daddy stepped in and spoke with the Chancellor. He wanted to have the President's original sentence reinstated. He said Dunning was biased in this case because his sister was involved. The Chancellor eventually agreed, and so we got detention," explained Tencha.

"I'll bet that didn't sit well with the good Captain, did it?" asked Anna.

"Oh, no — he was hacked. It was the only sentence he's ever had reversed by the Chancellor. He believes the Graysons have far too much influence at the school, and we got off easy," Tencha said, rolling her eyes.

"Easy? We had detention for a month. Every night, we were scrubbing and buffing everything in the castle. And who do you think was in charge of those duty assignments? The good, unbiased, Captain Dunning — that's who. We were relegated down to house elves around here," Dowla said angrily.

"Still, if you ask me, you got off easy," said Eric. "If I had been President, you might have been suspended. The girl could have been killed."

"Doxy-doo… she was never in any danger. A garden gnome could almost stand in that part of the moat where she fell in."

"Yes, but you didn't know that when you decided to shrink the bridge, did you?" Dowla and Tencha looked at each other and then shrugged. "I didn't think so," Eric finished.

"Well… we need to get out of here. I still have my duties as a Server Union Knight until tomorrow, and Thordarson wants us looking after the new first-years joined to our halls. I promised that little Sarah Bell I'd get her settled in."

"Oh — thanks, Eric. I know she's met the age of entry and everything, but she's really scared. She only turned eleven three weeks ago, and after what happened tonight… could somebody just watch out for her? Lord only knows where I'm going to end up after all of this Guardian stuff," she added in a worried tone.

"No problem; I'll see to it. We'll keep her in sight until she gets comfortable," Eric reassured her.

"Thanks."

Anna slid down into her blankets as the rest of the Graysons filed out. Eric was almost out the door when Anna called to him.

"Eric — it's really great, you being selected as Student President. Congratulations, big brother. I'm really proud of you."

Eric grinned. He peeked out the door to make sure the other Graysons were well on their way back to their Union halls, and then closed the door and returned to Anna's bedside.

"What's up?" Anna said, somewhat surprised.

Eric sat on the edge of her bed with a strange and worried look on his face. "Anna, I have to tell you the truth. I haven't decided if I'm going to accept the President's post yet."

"What? What are you talking about? Of course, you'll accept. Why wouldn't you?"

"Anna, I don't think you fully understand what's happened here tonight. You are the first member of a new Union at Castlewood. When word about this gets out, the whole wizarding world is going to wonder what's going on here. They're going to want to know why this has happened. Already, as we speak, all the school Chancellors and Headmasters in Europe are being informed." Eric could see his sister looked confused.

"The point is, what's happened to you tonight, and to this school, is really a big deal. There are going to be a lot of questions from people wanting to understand all of this. You might find yourself being interrogated about what happened in the mirror, and I don't think we're ready for that yet. Do you understand?"

"I… I… think so," Anna said. "But I still don't see why that should affect you." Eric shook his head, looking down at his hands. "Why would it, Eric? What are you worried about?"

"Anna… the beginning of a new union; think about that for a minute. It hasn't happened here in nearly two hundred years. Why has this happened? Why now… and why you? Of all the people — my very own sister is being asked to sustain a new union on her own. Do you have any idea what that means?"

"Well… no… not really."

"Listen, this is a school of magical instruction. The curriculum for each Union at the academy has been set for hundreds of years, going all the way back to the old country. The faculty will have to put together an entirely new schedule of classes for you and for those who might follow you. And what will those classes be? What does it mean to be a Guardian? Do you know? Does anybody know?"

Anna shrugged. "So what's the school going to do with me until they figure this out?" she asked. Anna found herself suddenly worried.

"I expect they're going to put you in the normal first-year classes that all the students have to take, including Tranfiguration, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, and Charms — the standard first-year stuff. I don't think they'll have a problem filling your first term or even your first year, but eventually, they're going to have to figure out what a Guardian is and what magical teachings apply.

"There are the basics, as I said, and probably a handful of other classes only given within specific Unions. For example, The Care of Magical Creatures have some very advanced classes offered here at Castlewood, but only the Servers, Defenders, and Searchers are allowed to take them. Some of these courses might be offered to the Guardians as well. Then there are classes only offered by specific Union Dynasties. What will those classes be for the Guardians? To answer that, we need to know why the Guardians were brought to us; and that brings me back to my dilemma about accepting the position of President. Anna — I'm worried about you."

"About me? Why? What do you mean?"

"Anna, don't you see? For thousands of years, sorcerers have founded the various schools of magic for a variety of different reasons. Some of these schools, like Castlewood, continue today. But as far as I know, no school has ever been founded by a magical object like the Mirror of Enlightenment. Our studies have taught us that magic is like a living presence that exists everywhere around us, but most of the life on this planet knows almost nothing about it. A few species have evolved to take advantage of magic's existence, like the magical beasts and creatures we know today. Humans, those that are witches and wizards, are among those fortunate enough to understand magic, and have found a way to use it to suit their purposes. But… from what you've described to us of the things that happened in the mirror, it sounds like magic has something to say about how we're living our lives. If that's true, it could shake the very foundation that defines who we are, and may require us to change what it is we're doing." Eric looked away and sighed. "And change has been historically dangerous for those trying to implement it."

"So you believe magic is sending us a message?"

"I don't know; but if I had to guess… I would say yes. And, for whatever reason, it's decided to make you its messenger." Anna sat quietly in her bed for a moment. She didn't know what to say; it was too much to absorb.

"Anna, you're going to need help dealing with all of this, and it's not right to have your family carry on like nothing important has happened tonight. The Graysons have never left one of our own in a time of need. The whole family has to come together on this thing and help you figure it out. My duties as a union Knight might get in the way of helping you through this difficult time, and any future responsibilities as Student President would only increase those difficulties. My priorities here are clear; the family should come first."

"But Eric, you've worked so hard for this. You've earned this honor. You shouldn't have to give it up for me. I can figure this out." Eric smiled and reached in to push Anna's hair out of her face.

"That's my point exactly. _We_ will figure this out. We will work together to understand what's happening. You're not doing this alone; it's too important. It's important to you, to our family, and to the school."

"But what if I just quit and went home? Then nobody would have to worry about any of this."

"I don't think it's that simple, Anna. What if one-sixth of the new students next year are joined to the Guardian Union? We have to figure this out now; we can't just run and hide from it. Besides… I get the feeling you couldn't walk away from this even if you tried. When you consider everything that's happened to you over the last week, I think it's clear this is about something bigger than all of us. And, for whatever reason, you are an important part of what's to come."

Anna started to sob. She couldn't accept seeing her brother giving up the honor offered to him just to solve her problems, especially when she didn't understand what she was expected to do as a Guardian.

"Please, Eric, don't do this… you can't, not for me. I won't let you."

Eric smiled, and then gently reached over to hug his sister. "It's not just for you, Anna. It's for us. What happened to you was a call to the whole family. We have to assume more Guardians are on the way, and your family has to stand by you to figure out what to tell them when they get here."

Anna began to cry. "Pleeeese, Eric… noooo." Eric pushed her back and lifted his sister's very wet chin. He tilted his head over to peer into her eyes.

"Hey… I didn't say it was a done-deal yet. I'm going to speak to father about this tonight and then go to the Chancellor. As of right now, I'm still the Student President, which gives me an audience with Professor Thordarson whenever I need it. I'll let you know tomorrow what he says.

Her brother paused a moment to think. "In the meantime, I want you to hold this for me." He reached into his robes and pulled out the President's amulet again, and then placed the heavy chain around Anna's neck. "I'll be back for this tomorrow after I decide." Her brother stood. "I'd better be going. I still need to find Sarah and make sure she gets a room. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Anna nodded, not looking at him. She could see her own tears falling into her lap. Eric kissed her on the forehead.

"Try and get some sleep; I'll come by again early tomorrow." He turned and walked toward the door.

"Goodnight, Mr. President," Anna called out to him.

Eric turned around and smiled; he winked at her. "Get some sleep," he said caringly, and then he left.

Anna sat there, disbelieving what had just happened. It was bad enough that she had to go through this herself, but now it was affecting her family too. Anna was torn between the heartbreak of Eric's sacrifice, verses knowing he was right in everything he was trying to do to help her; she knew she was going to need all the help she could get.

The hospital floor was empty now, and Anna was very tired. But she couldn't help trying to remember everything the voices in the mirror had said to her. They said she had been altered at birth. _What did that mean? Was that why I grew up as a squib?_ More than that, the voices said the beast that altered her was near by, in some kind of a prison, and would try to kill her if it escaped. _What was it? Where was it?_ Anna thought about her mother. Victoria had died during her birth; her father was there at the time. When would such a thing have gotten a chance to get to her? And why would it do so? For what purpose would something work to alter her? And if it wanted to kill her, why didn't it do it then? Too many questions remained unanswered, and they continued to revolve around Anna's mother and her birth.

She lay back, looking up at the ceiling. As tired as she was, one frightening thought came into her mind. The voices had said the beast that altered her was evil and worked for its master — the Dark Lord. "Voldemort," Anna said out loud. They said Voldemort was gathering strength_. But how could that be? Wasn't he dead? Were the legends about Harry Potter defeating him all wrong? _

As Anna went over these thoughts again and again, the hours slowly ticked by. _Who was the ally, and how did she die? _The ally had told Anna she was a member of the family. But if she was murdered, why didn't Anna know about her? She had never heard any stories about a Grayson being murdered. _Who was she?_

As Anna continued searching her memory for every scrap of information she could recall, she suddenly realized that she wasn't alone. She sat upright and looked around. Although she couldn't see anybody, she knew something was definitely there. It was a strange feeling. One moment she knew she was alone and then the next… she wasn't.

"Who's there?" Anna said, scanning the room around her. "Show yourself!" Nobody came forward. Anna closed her eyes and concentrated hard, listening and focusing with all her remaining strength. Her head was throbbing painfully from a lack of sleep, but she began to hear a faint thumping sound coming from her right. She turned her head without opening her eyes, and she could hear the heartbeat of somebody standing in the room. Her mind triangulated quickly into the darkness, and then she opened her eyes.

"Come out of the corner — I know you're there. Who are you?" For a moment, there was nothing, and then, a second later, a lone figure suddenly appeared and stepped forward. "Stay back!" Anna yelped, scrunching down into her blankets. "I'm not alone; Doctor Pearl is in the next room!"

"Remarkable," said the figure, now standing in the aisle between the beds. A man stepped into the dim light from the window behind Anna's bed.

"Chancellor Thordarson?" Anna whispered in amazement. "I'm… I'm sorry, sir. I … didn't hear you come in." The Professor smiled thoughtfully as he walked over to Anna's bed.

"I am the one who should apologize, my dear," he said kindly. "I was just doing my evening rounds and decided to check in on you. I like to keep a low profile as I walk, so as to keep from interrupting those around me in the castle. I must say, however, I have never been detected by any of my students before. That is an amazing talent you have, young lady." Anna smiled shyly as Thordarson stepped closer. His colorless face almost glowed an iridescent white in the moonlight, but Anna could see his eyes where bright and alert even through his dark glasses. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Oh, that's all right, sir. I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh… and why is that? After an evening like you've just had, I would have thought you would have been asleep long ago."

"Yes, in fact I'm exhausted. But the mirror told me things, things that I don't understand… and… it's keeping me awake."

Professor Thordarson smiled again. "Well… since neither one of us seems to be sleeping tonight, maybe you can tell me what the mirror said to you, and then, perhaps, we can make sense of it together." Anna felt relieved, and she immediately understood why so many people, including her father, liked this man so much. His manner was warm and disarming, and one got the feeling you could tell him anything without the worry of being lectured or criticized.

"I had hoped to spare you the extra stress of having to answer a lot of questions tonight, but if you believe talking about it will ease your mind, then, of course, I am at your disposal." Anna smiled appreciably.

And so she began. Anna started with the things that happened at the Grayson estate the week before, and then she told him about the ghostly visitor in her bedroom. Finally, she explained her experience within the mirror.

After thirty minutes, Anna finished, "And then the voices in the mirror said that I should be vigilant and they pushed me out." Professor Thordarson smiled, and then used his staff to help himself slowly to his feet again. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"But, you haven't told me everything — have you?" he said, as if already knowing some unrevealed secret.

"Um… I don't know what you mean, sir."

"You've told me about the attack of the Lethifold, but you put it in such a way as to make me believe the beast was an intruder and… not something from within?"

Anna was stunned. "Did my father tell you…?"

"Yes, he did. He told me you believe you turned into this rare creature before…" he paused cautiously, "before you attacked your brother." An overwhelming feeling of shame swept over Anna like a cold sheet of ice. She dropped her head in despair.

"I wish he hadn't told you that," she said softly.

Professor Thordarson smiled, and then stepped in to place a hand softly on Anna's shoulder. "My dear… your father loves you very much. It took all of my powers of persuasion to keep him from catching the next boat out to Castlewood after what happened tonight. He confided what happened to me because I am his friend, and because he wants to make sure you get the best care and consideration in this time of uncertainty," he explained gently. "He is your father, and he felt I could help him understand what was happening to his daughter. I am one of the privileged few Boris Grayson knows he can trust in the most desperate of times, Anna. And… I hope to someday earn that trust in you as well. In the meantime, you must believe me when I say your secret is safe with me." Anna looked up and could see an almost angelic twinkle in the old wizard's eyes through his dark glasses.

"Thank you. It was probably something I just imagined anyway," Anna said in relief.

"Oh…I doubt that," Thordarson replied, and Anna looked at him in surprise. He was the first person who believed she wasn't attacked by the creature.

"From what you have told me, it sounds like the magic within the mirror has confirmed your original belief. You did change," he said, slowly sitting down on the corner of her bed to lean on his staff.

"It is an astounding thing. To my knowledge, you would be the first witch or wizard ever known to have changed into a magical creature. But what is most interesting to me — is how this was done. The events leading up to your coming to Castlewood this year do not entirely account for this ability." He could see Anna didn't understand, so he inched himself forward on the bed to explain.

"The mirror, you said, referenced an evil one who had somehow altered you at birth. That, I believe, is the other part of the explanation; the true reason you were able to accomplish this remarkable feat. Anna, I believe you are something extraordinarily rare among our kind. Do you remember what the mirror said tonight as you exited?"

Anna shook her head. "No, sir. I couldn't hear much of anything when I first came out."

The Chancellor nodded understandingly. "It called you, Sithmaith." He leaned back with widened eyes. "A very interesting title, to be sure. It means: _O__ne who brings peace_."

Anna stared off into the room over his shoulder. "I don't understand any of this," she said, bewildered. Thordarson looked at her sympathetically.

"Can I show you something?" he asked, and then, without waiting for a reply, he stood and stretched out his hand to help her out of bed.

"Sure… I guess so," Anna replied, reaching up to take his arm. She followed the Chancellor down to the end of the hospital floor and to a wall at the end of the row of beds. He waved the end of his staff in front of a pair candles on either side of a dark painting. The orb on top of the pole blushed for a brief instant, and the wicks on the candles popped alive, splashing their glow across the surface of the canvas.

It was a picture of a very old wizard in a tall hat. He looked tired and gray, seated with his hands in his lap. There were a number of witches and wizards proudly standing behind him in the shadows, all with their wands out seemingly at the ready. Below the painting was a small golden placard that read: _The Order of Merlin — Serve and Protect that which is Magical._ It was the first time Anna had actually seen a picture of the greatest wizard ever known.

"So that's the great man himself," Anna said glibly, looking up again at the old wizard's face in the painting.

"Yes," Thordarson said smiling. "What do you think? See anything of interest here?" Anna stepped up to the portrait to have a closer look. She noticed an amulet around the seated wizard's neck. She could see it contained two dragons facing each other.

"Hey… wait a minute. That amulet; it looks just like…"

"Just like the new crest placed upon your robes tonight," Thordarson said cautiously. "Yes, it's an interesting thing, wouldn't you say?"

"But, I don't get it," Anna said, stepping back from the painting again to scan the entire frame more fully. "So… are the Guardians something new, or are they just something the mirror decided to bring back?"

"Your question begs another," Thordarson replied. "Who would you say are the Guardians in this picture?"

"Well… Merlin is Merlin," Anna concluded quickly. "We all know who he is; and he's obviously the leader in this portrait. So I guess those in the background… would be the Guardians?"

"Good. That would be correct. Let me show you something else." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a new photograph. "Young Billy Anderson fancies himself a fine photographer among his peers. You will find he's always running around the castle with a camera taking photos." Thordarson leaned in to whisper, "Making quite a pest of himself at times too, I believe," he said with a chuckle. "Still… I think he shows a strong talent, and an excellent ambition to be in the right place at the right time. Tonight, Mr. Anderson took this." He handed the photo to her. It was a picture, showing the misty image of an adult Anna, standing to the side of the mirror. Anna looked in surprise at the giant leopard standing by her side.

"Oh my… this is what everybody saw when I came out of the mirror?"

"Yes… that is correct, my dear. Notice the hat on your future self." Anna looked closely at the blurry image of the hat in the photo. Her eyes widened, and darted back to the painting of Merlin sitting in his chair. The constellations wrapped around his hat were remarkably similar to the ones on the hat in the picture.

"They look the same," Anna said in amazement, pointing at the hat in the photo. Professor Thordarson took the picture from Anna's hand and placed it back into his pocket.

"Yes, I would agree," he said, turning to look at the portrait once more. "So, what are we to make of this? There is no doubt in my mind more Guardians are on the way. In fact, I believe there are Guardians here at the school with us already; they just don't know it yet. And, if I had to place them into the portrait we see here before us, I would say they represent those individuals standing behind the one we know sitting in the chair." He paused slightly. "What remains to be seen, Anna, is where you are in this painting." He stepped forward and lifted his staff, touching the orb on the shadowy figures in the background. "Are you here?" He slowly slid the orb down the canvas, stopping directly on the face of Merlin. "Or are you something more?" Anna looked at Thordarson in alarm as he turned to face her.

"No," she said, in a whisper. She took a step backwards, unwilling to grasp the thoughts now racing through her mind purposefully put there by the Chancellor. "I… I don't know… what…? You don't believe? You can't be saying…?" A sharp stab of pain seemed to tear into her forehead. Anna turned, and started walking back down the long row of beds as the many voices from the mirror began to race through her mind.

'_Fear not; we will serve you now in ways like no other since the falcon flew among your kind, and you will serve us with your strength and courage.'_ _The falcon! Merlin was the falcon the voices were referring to. Doctor Nelland had said Merlin was an Animagus, a shape shifter. He said he was able to spontaneously turn himself into a falcon, with no training. _Anna was able to change as well; it couldn't be the same thing. It couldn't be… _it just can't be_. Anna started running down the row, trying to escape the many voices of the mirror screaming from within her memory.

"Do you know what his followers in this painting called their mentor, Anna?" asked Professor Thordarson, still standing next to the portrait behind her. "Do you know what they use to call Merlin?" Anna stopped next to her bed and slowly turned to face Thordarson at the end of the row. "They called him… Sithmaith: 'The Bringer of Peace'."

Anna started at him, and then turned without saying a word. She crawled into her bed and pulled the covers over her head. Her skull was pounding painfully. The lack of sleep, the excitement of her trip to school, her experiences in the mirror, her brother's decision, and now all of this was far too much. She didn't want to think anymore. She wanted to quietly slip away to a place were she didn't have to think about anything.

A moment later, she felt the weight of somebody sitting on her bedside again. Anna could hear Thordarson speak. "I am sorry, my dear. I should have waited until you had a chance to recuperate from your experiences of the evening. I hope you will forgive me. When you get older, you will find old men have a tendency to do everything in the shortest amount of time left to them. I should have been more considerate of your state."

Annoyed, Anna flipped the blankets down to look at the wizard sitting on her bed. "I can't believe you think I'm Merlin," she said, angrily.

"You misunderstand me; of course I don't believe that. We can talk more about this when you've gained your strength. Give it a little more time to settle in before…"

"No… please, I have to know. What does it all mean? Please, Professor. Tell me honestly, what you think?" Thordarson considered her for a moment and then grinned.

"You are your father's daughter, Anna; always performing at your best even under the most extraordinary of circumstances. He would be proud of you," he paused again. "Very well, honestly then?"

"Yes, sir… please. What's happening to me?"

He considered her again and then leaned forward. "I believe the coming of the Guardians is a very ominous sign of things to come. The Dark Lord and his followers are not entirely gone, Anna. There have been reports from overseas confirming this fact. If Voldemort returns in full strength and body, with his followers whole and unbroken, then I am afraid the world could fall into a battle of terrible proportions. All could be at risk, including, perhaps, the existence of magic itself.

"But from what you've told me, it would seem that magic is not entirely without the means to protect itself. It did so in the past when it helped to bring about another powerful wizard in Merlin. Those too, were terribly dark times. When Voldemort was at his full strength thirteen years ago, I believe the magic of our world meant to bring forth another Guardian, somebody who could protect it from the destruction both sides would bring in their battle to defeat each other. I believe you were to be their protector Anna, the next Sithmaith.

"But two unexpected things happened in the process. First, Voldemort was defeated on the eve of his success, and with that defeat, came the question of your existence. Perhaps that was why you were born a squib, because magic's champion was no longer needed. Then, with the possible rise of Voldemort again, it would seem you have been brought out of storage, as it were, and your powers awakened. But something unexpected happened during your birth." He hesitated slightly, "What was it you told me the mirror said to you? _Something changed you from what was intended_? Perhaps it was the way your mother died during your birth; it's hard to say."

"The mirror said something evil did it. Something that was very close by," Anna said, worriedly.

Thordarson frowned; for the first time that evening, he seemed truly concerned. "I wouldn't put a lot of trust into that statement. While it's true something did happen, I wouldn't necessarily call it evil," he said, shaking his head. "That might be too simplistic." His words were troubling to Anna, and she thought they seemed rather evasive in tone, like he knew more about the subject than he was willing to say.

"But, whatever it was, it changed you enough to become something different, something very unique, never before seen in the Wizarding world. That, I believe, best explains your ability to change into the creature you fear."

"Is that why you didn't want anybody asking a lot of questions about all of this?"

The Chancellor nodded. "Throughout our wizarding history, we believe there have only ever been four Sithmaiths; one about every one thousand years. That's not what they were called at the time, of course; that title was only recently given to Merlin by his followers. But others, lesser in stature, have been among us in the past previous to him. Historically, they have only come during the most terrible times of strife, offering their wisdom, courage, and powerful magic to protect the innocent.

"I believe the coming of another Sithmaith would confirm the Dark Lord is gaining strength and momentum to a degree never believed before now. But the world has had thirteen years to prepare itself for this eventual possibility. If a battle between these forces were to come, I'm afraid it would commence at a level never seen in our history. For now, I think it best we keep these ponderings to ourselves until we understand the true meaning of these events. We need more time to grasp the magnitude of these things and how they might affect all of us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Anna nodded, but it was difficult for her to believe this had anything to do with her. She reached into her pajamas and pulled out the amulet her brother had given her to hold for him. She ran her finger around its silver edge.

"That's what Eric said too," she said, longingly.

"Oh… I see your brother has given you the good news."

"Yes," Anna replied, thinking sadly about the conversation she had with Eric. Her head snapped up. "But he says he's going to speak to you about not accepting the President's position," she blurted out.

"Yes… I know," the Chancellor answered calmly. "In fact, he's already discussed the subject with your father, and then came to my office this evening before I set off on my rounds."

Anna looked at Professor Thordarson with a pleading expression. "You can't let him do this, Professor. He can't be allowed!"

The Chancellor smiled supportively. "My dear, this is an honor given, and a responsibility entrusted to only the best and brightest of our students. Alas… it is not something we impose upon them under any circumstances."

"But…" Anna started to argue, but Thordarson put up a hand to stop her.

"The decision is his, Anna… and his alone." There was a long silence as Anna looked down at the amulet once again. She loved her brother so much; she didn't want to see him giving up something he had worked so hard to earn.

Thordarson leaned in again. "Eric is very much like his father. He is a young man of great integrity and a strong sense of family responsibility. I think it would say something vastly more important about him if he turned the position down than if he accepted it, don't you?"

"No!" Anna said quickly. Then, looking into Thordarson's rigid gaze, she answered more honestly. "Yeah… I guess so," she said, looking somber again. Thordarson grinned.

"Well, Miss Grayson, I must finish my rounds and you need your rest. I will summon the good doctor and ask her to give you a sleeping draft to help you rest. We will speak of these matters again soon enough. I hope you will allow me the privilege to call upon you again and under more pleasurable surroundings," said the old wizard as he groaned to stand. He thought for a moment and then turned to Anna once more.

"Sometimes it is difficult on the mind to contemplate the state of the world when there is so much to be done at home. Let us take this one day at a time, Anna. If you're going to be a proper Guardian, you must concentrate on your studies. I should think a good night's sleep and a fresh start in the morning is what we need to begin."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for stopping and taking the time to speak with me."

The Chancellor smiled. "Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well." He finally turned, and headed back to the far corner of the room, his staff tapping the stone floor as he walked. "I hear we are in for clearer weather tomorrow; we shall see." Anna saw the wizard reach out, she blinked, and he was gone.

189


	18. Day One

Chapter 18d34 — Day One

Chapter 18

Day One

ONE

As promised, Chancellor Thordarson spoke to Doctor Pearl about giving Anna a dreamless sleeping draft, which at last cleared her mind and put her into a deep sleep. When Anna awoke the next day, she never felt so rested. She stretched her arms out lavishly and frowned. As her vision cleared, she realized, she had no idea in what bed she was sleeping.

"Oh — yeah," she remembered with a grin, "the hospital floor at Castlewood." Hospital or not, it was still thrilling to know she was finally at the school.

"So… finally awake are we?" came a voice from the foot of her bed. It was Doctor Pearl.

"Yes, ma'am," Anna said, stretching once again. "I feel _so_ much better."

"Good — good. You said you had a headache last night, and how is that this morning?"

Anna stopped moving to check the pain. "Nope… all gone!" she reported, happily.

"Excellent!" replied the doctor, lifting Anna's wrist to take her pulse.

As she looked around at the walls in the morning light, Anna noticed a series of beautiful paintings between every other bed across the aisle. "Those are really nice," she said, pointing at the galloping horses in the pictures.

"Ahhh…. that's right. I had forgotten about your love of horses. Yes dear, they are my passion as well. As a doctor, I cannot prescribe a better remedy for those who ride."

Anna smiled. "I'm going to miss my horse, Apollo," she said, looking longingly out at the crisp, clear morning through the window behind her headboard. "We always used to love going for a ride on mornings like this."

Pearl looked at Anna interestedly. "Well, if that's the way you feel, you should visit the stables when they give you time to breathe. We have a wonderful array of animals; I should think one of them might fill the gap nicely. I can't promise anything as good as your Apollo, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I've worked very hard over the years to bring only the best animals to our school."

"Oh… wonderful! Yes, I'd like that."

"Just tell the stable master, Mr. Kingston, that I sent you down for a mount. He'll take care of you."

"Thank you. So… do you ride?"

"Not as much as I would like. My duties here, you understand, keep me very busy. Still, the Chancellor has a way of understanding the individual needs of everybody on his staff, and he insists I go for a ride at least once a week." She leaned in to whisper, "He says he can't stand being around me if it's been longer than that," she finished with a coy, little smile, and Anna giggled at the thought of Professor Thordarson telling Pearl it was time for her to get on her horse.

"You know, my dear, I also happen to be Castlewood's Vollucross Steward. Do you know anything about the sport?"

"No — nothing; what is it?"

The doctor smiled keenly as she sat next to Anna on the bed. "It's a mounted race in and around the stadium grounds."

Anna's heart gave an eager little twitch. "Really? How exciting!"

"Yes… the riders use the Vollucross stadium outside the Union walls. Did you happen to see the fields as you entered the castle on the tram?"

"Yes, I think so. The Vollucross field… that's the U-shaped stadium adjoining the Shadowed Forest, right?" Anna answered, remembering Eric showing her the grounds outside the city gates on the way in.

"That is correct. We have team and individual events that take full advantage of a rider's abilities, as well as the beautiful countryside. Since everybody at Castlewood must participate in a sport, and you already have riding experience, it would seem the perfect fit."

"Yes… exactly," Anna said, happily. Although Anna knew everybody at the school had to participate in some kind of sport, she hadn't put much thought into which she would choose. It seemed Pearl had given her the best possible option imaginable.

"Well then… at your first opportunity, head down to the stables and have our Mr. Kingston show you some of our fine animals. Tryouts for the Union teams are in one month. Since you're the only member of this new Union, you won't be able to enter the team events, but the individual elements would clearly be available to you." She held up a warning finger. "I should warn you however, some of our mounts are a lot more powerful than what you might be accustomed back at home." The doctor stood. "Give the idea some thought, and, if you're still interested, you may join us if you like." Anna didn't need to think about it at all; she had already decided to find the stables as soon as possible.

"You are to be released immediately. Here are your clothes and a bathrobe," the doctor said, handing Anna a small bag. "Your shoes are in the bottom. I have been informed that another student has been assigned as your guide to help you through your day-one schedule. They should be arriving shortly. So, let's get those lazy bones up and moving — shall we?"

"Yes, ma'am," Anna replied eagerly, jumping to her feet. She grabbed the bag, the robe, and then looked around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. "Hold on; the amulet! My brother's amulet; where is it?" Anna realized she was no longer wearing the heavy chain around her neck. She started ripping the blankets back on her bed, looking desperately for the necklace.

"The what? Oh… that!" Pearl said, smiling. "Not to worry, dear. Your bother was in bright and early this morning. He said he needed it back."

Anna jerked up quickly. "He said he needed it back?" A blissful thought raced through her mind. _He must have decided to accept the position after all. Her father and Chancellor Thordarson must have talked him into staying on as President. _Anna's heart did a happy little leap. Still, she couldn't be sure until she saw him. "Did Eric say anything else?" Anna asked the doctor, hoping her brother might have left her a message or at least a note.

"No… nothing more. He had a heck of a time getting that chain off of your neck while you slept," she said, with a grin, "but… when I administer a sleeping draft, I do the thing right!"

Anna stretched her arms graciously again. "Oh… you certainly do, Doctor," she replied, beaming.

"I think your brother will make a fine Student President," Pearl announced happily. Then, looking around to make sure no one else would hear, "I voted for him myself," she said satisfactorily. "Of course… I would have voted for him on his riding abilities alone!" She chuckled and then winked. "So… off you go. The showers are down the hall and to the right."

Anna collected her bag and made her way toward the showers. As she passed the last row of beds, she stopped again at the painting of Merlin and his Guardians. She read from the placard, "_The Order of Merlin_." She looked into the old wizard's eyes, and her view immediately seemed to zoom into his stare. Deeper and deeper, his gaze seemed to draw her into him; deeper still, her focus started to strain.

There was a faint whisper, _"__Sithmaith__,"_ which broke her gaze as she looked around. All was quiet.

Anna looked at the painting again and then to the witches and wizards standing in the background. "Must be hearing things again," she said, uncertainly, as she turned and headed toward the showers.

TWO

When Anna returned, she found Gwen waiting for her.

"Hey — Grayson! You finished burning down the castle yet?" Anna smiled. As always, Gwen had a remarkable way of making any terrible event seem like a party just getting started. Her friend was dressed in her Artisan robes, which were opened casually in the front, and her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail.

"What are you doing here?" Anna said, frowning as she made her way back to the bed.

"Why, I'm your escort, of course. I hold the immensely important job… as your guide; _hand-holder extraordinaire_," Gwen said, dipping her a little bow with an arm outstretched to the side. She leaned in to hug Anna as they came together. "Actually, Professor Titan came to me this morning and asked me to take the job. He thought it would be better to have somebody you knew as an escort, since there's nobody else in…" she hesitated, "ah…well, you know."

"Nobody else in this Guardian Union but me?" Anna asked, still rubbing her wet head with a towel.

"Well… yeah. Normally, they would have assigned somebody from your own Hall to escort you. They did have quite a few volunteers, you know. Seems everybody is a little nosey about what happened to you last night. Can't say I blame them; would kind of like to know myself." Gwen gave Anna a look of appealing curiosity.

Anna's mind immediately raced to Chancellor Thordarson and what he had said about taking a lot of questions. She knew this would only be the beginning. Realizing she wasn't ready to discuss the details, Anna threw the towel onto the bed, took Gwen's hand, and sat them down.

"To tell you the truth… I really don't understand what's going on either."

"But… you look all right. No burns, right? No injuries? The doctor wouldn't let you go if…"

"No — no, I'm fine."

"What happened to you in the mirror, Anna? Why were you in there for so long?"

Anna tried to explain, but she purposely left out the confusing details she knew would only raise more questions. By the end, she could see Gwen knew she wasn't being entirely open.

"So… these voices, they just kept asking you all these weird questions? And they didn't explain what all this Guardian stuff meant?"

Anna shook her head. And then, because she felt guilty about not telling her friend everything, she added, "Gwen, there is more — a lot more. But I hope you understand… I really don't know what's going on. I'm just as confused as everybody else is here, and I get the feeling my father and the Chancellor know more than what they're telling me."

"But… why wouldn't they tell you? Do you think they're protecting you in some way?"

"I don't know, but I'm convinced they know much more than what they're willing to say now. I think they're searching for the answers themselves. They want me to carry on as normally as possible," Anna said, rolling her eyes, "and take things one day at a time."

Finally, Gwen seemed temporarily satisfied. "Okay…so, what can I do to help?"

Anna smiled. "Well, since you asked, if you can keep me from having to take a bunch of questions that I can't answer anyway… without coming off… well… you know… smug…"

Gwen grinned. "No problem. Between the two of us, I can assure you, I'll be the one they think is smug."

Anna laughed, and then reached out to take Gwen's hand again. "But when I am ready to say more; when I need somebody to tell…" Anna looked longingly into Gwen's eyes and her friend instantly understood.

"I'll be here, Super-G. I'll always be around if you need me," Gwen whispered back before giving Anna another reassuring hug.

"Listen, I'm supposed to give you this… it's your day-one schedule." Gwen handed Anna an envelope and watched her open it.

"Oh… it's also a list of my classes for the upcoming term."

"Yeah, what you're suppose to do, see, is follow today's schedule by the clock. Day-one is set-aside for the new students so they can find their classrooms, meet the instructors, and gather any information they'll need for the rest of the week. You're a little behind schedule today, because you should have already received your room assignment. Since there isn't a Guardian hall here at the castle, they decided to place you in the Server's hall. That'll do for now. Eric assigned that little Sarah Bell as your roommate.

Anna looked up. "Oh… that's great. Well… this is working out better than I would have hoped. And I see we're all supposed to meet back at the Rotunda at six o'clock?" Anna observed, looking at her schedule.

"Right… for the start of term banquet. That's always fabulous; you won't want to miss that."

"Okay. So what's first, oh-wise-one," Anna said, handing the list back to her friend.

Gwen giggled. "Well, first… it looks like… you've got Potions; that's the East wing, eighth floor. Professor Tearrantulla is your instructor. Oh, I know him… a bit creepy… but pretty good, overall. Then it's on to Transfiguration and…"

"Trans-what?"

"Transfiguration. That's transforming and reconfiguring stuff — very cool," Gwen said, expertly. "Should come in handy when you need to turn Damon into a mushroom or something." They both laughed. "Then you have History of Magic, Magical Incantations, Common Studies, Study of the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures and… hold on… what's this? Dueling? You've got Dueling!"

"Dueling? Is that bad?"

"No… actually, it can be a lot of fun… but I've never heard of a first-year student taking it." Gwen said, looking up in amazement. "This must be some kind of Guardian thing. Oh my, girl you are in so much trouble."

"Why's that?"

"Because dueling has always been an elective; it fills the requirement for a sports activity. But it's never been mandatory," Gwen said, staring at the list again. "The people who take dueling plainly want to be there, and they're usually very good at it. No offense, but… you're going to get trounced. I should know; I was in dueling last year. It was the only sport my parents would allow me to take. You know," Gwen waggled her figures in front of her face and smirked, "have to protect these talented mitts."

"So we'll be in the class together? That's terrific!"

"Yeah… but you'd better stay low for a while. If the students in that class sense any weakness, you're dead. They'll pounce on you. The more wins they get, the better their grades. Being a first-year, you're going to draw their attention as an easy target.

"Oh… I see what you mean. Well, maybe we could pair up and you can go easy on me."

"Yeah, okay. But, remember, if you have to go up against one of those sharks, make sure they know you'd just as soon drop the wands and go hand to hand. Attitude is everything in there. If they know you're liable to kick the snot out of them outside the pit, they'll respect you more when their wands are drawn." Anna stared at Gwen for a full three seconds before they both started bursting out laughing. "Come on," Gwen said, snatching Anna's school robes off the bed. "Let's get out of here."

By the afternoon, Gwen had escorted them to nearly all of Anna's classes, and she had never met a stranger array of teachers in her whole life. When Gwen had said Professor Tearrantulla, the Potions Master, was a bit creepy, that was an understatement. He was downright bizarre. A heavy-set man, he wore extremely shabby robes and sported a messy beard that only grew under his wobbly chin. He also had an enormous amount of hair growing out of his ears and between his eyes, which were beady black set in a baldhead. He soon gave the new students a demonstration of what he called: _The intricate qualities of potion making._ Ladling out a spoonful of bubbling, yellow goop from a hot caldron set deep in the fireplace, he poured it into a shallow cup. He drank it and made a soured face. Within seconds, they all watched in amazement as Professor Tearrantulla's beard started growing at an astonishing rate. By the time the students had stopped clapping for the genius of the potion, his beard was so long it lay in a tangled mess up to his knees on the floor.

"Oops… over did it a bit!" the teacher said, laughing at himself.

It was the same in the other classes as well. Professor Nevork, the Tranfiguration teacher, it turned out, was a Siamese twin; two identical brothers joined at the chest and hip. They had four arms and legs, and bright orange eyes. They also had the habit of speaking in unison most of the time, as if from a single mind.

"We prefer to be called 'Professors Nevork'," they said together, introducing themselves to the students. They turned a lamp into a bat, which immediately flew out the window. "We loose more furniture that way," the Professors said, sounding agitated, and then they began to squabble with one another about the choice of spells they had used during the demonstration.

Then it was on to The History of Magic, where a tall, thin, and rather hyperactive teacher, a Madam Bolcher, buzzed nervously around the room, passing out course outlines, and even some early reading homework. This, she said insipidly, had to be completed before the first day of class.

"I've never had a homework assignment before the start of term," Anna told Gwen, disapprovingly.

"Yeah, old Madam Bolcher is really ate-up!" Gwen growled under her breath.

"Ate-up? What does that mean?"

"Oh… you know, she's a bit too far into it; really loves this stuff. She lives and breathes wizard history… ate-up!" Anna giggled before noticing another picture of Merlin by the door on the way out. He looked much younger in this portrait, and it reminded her of one of those sports posters she had seen in a Muggle shopping mall. The wizard looked young, fit, and ready for anything. Anna avoided staring into the wizard's eyes as they moved on to their next appointment.

"What's Common Studies?" Anna asked Gwen, glancing up from her schedule. "Did I say something wrong?" She saw Gwen rolling her eyes.

"Common Studies is the most despised class at the school; even worse than History of Magic. We all have to take it, but it's commonly referred to as Muggle subjects."

"So we're studying non-magic people?"

"No — no. It's the study of non-magical things like civics, and geology, and even some non-magical science. Most of the students think it's rather degrading to study Muggle subjects. Even some of the teachers openly say it's a waste of our time."

Anna frowned. "Well I don't think it's a waste of time. It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? I mean… how can you yank an eleven year-old kid out of school and tell them: 'Right, you've learned enough about those subjects now that you have a wand.'"

Gwen shrugged. "Well… it would seem Thordarson agrees with you. I heard Common Studies was never taught at Castlewood until he became Chancellor, and my father told me this is the only Wizarding school in the world that teaches this stuff."

The halls in the castle were very busy as the first-years and their escorts moved about, looking to complete their day-one schedules. Anna was amazed at the castle's complex array of hallways and staircases. She had no idea how she was going to remember the way to her classes the next day without Gwen's help.

They slowly made their way to their last appointment of the day, Care of Magical Creatures. "Professor Motim is very harsh," Gwen said with a frown, looking at Anna's course schedule and finding the teacher's name. "I honestly don't know how he ever came to work with animals. It's too bad you didn't get Mr. Rosenthal.He's the other CMC teacher." Gwen smiled dreamily. "He's really handsome, but you get the feeling he'd rather spend his time with the animals than with people."

"Sometimes I can relate to that," Anna replied, thinking about her brother Damon.

As they rounded the next corner in the corridor, Anna looked away for an instant and, WHAM! She ran straight into another student, knocking them both to the floor.

"Hey — watch where you're going, you idiot!" bellowed a fourth-year student from the Defenders' Union.

"Oh… sorry," Anna said, getting to her feet quickly and reaching out to help the other girl back up. The girl slapped Anna's hand away as she stood.

"Stupid eggs," the girl said, brushing her robes off angrily before turning to pick up her books.

"Ah… as I said… it was all my fault — sorry. My name is Anna," Anna said, reaching out a friendly hand.

The girl looked up at her and sneered. "So?" she said snappishly, not willing to shake Anna's hand at all.

"So… I was just saying how sorry…" The girl suddenly straightened and then shoved abruptly past her.

"Excuse — me," Anna said, surprised at how rude the girl was acting. She was rather short and pudgy, with tight-black, curly hair and a body that seemed to throw itself about as she moved. Anna tutted loudly as the girl pushed her aside again to get to another book lying by her feet. She saw the girl's eyes find the purple stripe on the hem of her robes, and then saw her lips curl evilly as she stood to face her.

"You're that new Grayson kid… aren't you?" the girl asked her in an unfriendly tone of voice.

"Why yes… I am. How did you know my…?"

"I was at the Joining Ceremony just like everybody else and I know your sisters well enough; people who don't believe the castle rules apply to them."

"What?" Anna said in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Although the twin's had never given Anna any reason to stand up for them in the past, she was starting to dislike this girl's attitude less by the second. "Who are you?" Anna asked, staring at the other student.

"Debbie Dunning," the girl replied, sharply. Gwen started to snicker and had to turn away to keep from laughing out loud.

"You're… Debbie Dunning?" Anna said in astonishment.

"That's right. So… I see your sisters have mentioned me to you. Good! This works out just right then, doesn't it?" She took out a small spiral pad with a pencil and, after flipping over a few pages, began to write. "Anna Grayson… troublemaker," she said as she wrote, and then scratched an underline twice. "Needs to be watched!" she added in a sarcastic tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna said, peering over to see what she was writing.

Debbie snapped the pad closed to glare back at her. "Just a few notes I keep on potential rule breakers, troublemakers, and the sort… people I need to keep my eye on."

"Excuse me? You don't even know me. Why would you think you needed to watch me?" Anna said, loudly.

"Oh… I know you," Debbie said, with an increasing level of righteousness. "I know your entire family; the lot of them — good-for-nothing troublemakers! Thinking they're better than everybody else. The Graysons are a menace to this school!"

Anna dropped some of her books in shock, and angrily stepped forward. "What did you say about my family?" she seethed through suddenly clinched teeth. Who did this girl think she was, insulting her family honor? Gwen immediately stepped in front of Anna to stop her from grabbing the other girl.

"Anna… don't! Do you have any idea who her brother is?" she whispered, looking to tip Anna off. Anna could see a number of other students looking at her in horror, half expecting Captain Dunning or another crimson guard to move in.

"I don't care who her brother is… she's not going to insult my family," Anna snapped back loud enough for everybody in the corridor to hear.

The Dunning girl was smiling. "No — no… let her go. I'd love to see a Grayson kicked out of Spellsburg before the start of class," she said, her wicked grin broadening.

"She's provoking you… can't you see that? She wants you to grab her so she can get another Grayson in trouble," Gwen cautioned Anna, holding her back with one hand while trying to pick up one of her books with the other.

Anna pointed warningly at Dunning. "You'd better watch that mouth, Dunning, or you'll find my fist stuffed in it!" The other students watching them looked around, half alarmed and amused at the bravery of a first-year egg arguing with the Captain's sister.

"Oh… is that a threat, Grayson? I certainly hope not, and with all these witnesses around to hear you. Gee, I hope I don't accidentally trip… and fall off a bridge anytime soon. It wouldn't look too good for you, would it?" she sneered.

"If you fall, Dunning, trust me… it won't be an accident!" Anna yelled. Debbie smiled as she watched Gwen pushing Anna backwards.

"Brave words coming from an egg. I'll be watching you, Grayson," she said, slapping her pad with the back of her hand. "I'll be watching you, very… closely." Anna was boiling with rage as Gwen continued to push her back out of the crowd.

Finally, Anna stopped pressing forward, but when she saw Debbie turn to walk away, she couldn't stop herself from saying more. "Watch all you want, Dunning, but you should pay more attention to those eyebrows of yours." Debbie wheeled around again. "You might try thinning those out a bit… they're starting to grow together in the middle!" Everybody started laughing and looking at Dunning eagerly for a reaction. Debbie's face went bright red as she angrily flipped her pad open again and started writing. Gwen was laughing too as she started pushing Anna backwards again. "Yeah, that's right, Dunning… write it down, _eyebrows_, great-big, slope-headed prehistoric ones. Get a clue… you're supposed to have two!"

The hallway erupted into laughter again as Gwen turned and pulled Anna bodily around the corner and out of sight. She was giggling hysterically. "Are you mad? Don't you know what that girl can do to you?" she said, still laughing and holding her sides. "Her brother is going to put you in detention."

"I don't care what her brother does. I won't put up with anybody talking about my family that way!"

Gwen frowned. "Gee, I've never seen you like this before."

"What do you mean?" Anna snapped back as she peered around the corner half expecting Debbie Dunning to come chasing after her.

"I've never seen you so angry. And I never thought I'd ever see you sticking up for Tencha and Dowla." Anna looked back over her shoulder, realizing she was somewhat surprised herself.

"Well, maybe not them, but… she offended my family — my father!"

"But if she was only talking about Tencha and Dowla… would you have reacted the same way?"

Anna thought for a moment before looking around the corner again. "Yeah, I probably would. So? What gives her the right to say anything about my family? I can see now why Dowla pitched her into that moat last year. It's a good thing I wasn't there. I probably would have stopped them from fishing her out."

Gwen laughed again. "Well, I can tell you this. The twins were heroes around here after what they did to Debbie. They even had volunteers asking to help them with their detention. I think everybody was just waiting for someone with enough guts to stand up to that little pit-bull. It didn't help though; Debbie was worse after the incident than ever before. Always following people she didn't like, and then turning them in to her brother for detention. She's taking up where she left off last year, that's for sure. And she's no slouch with a wand either, so you'd better watch your back. You'll see her again in the dueling hall."

"I don't care where I see her," Anna blurted out angrily. "You said it before; I'll just chuck the wand and plow into that stupid, pug-face of hers."

Gwen giggled, putting her arm around Anna's shoulder to direct her away. "Come on, I'd better get you out of here before you get us both into trouble. Wow — you sticking up for the twins; never thought I'd ever see the day. Next thing you know, you'll be running to Damon's rescue."

Anna looked at Gwen in surprise. "Let's not get crazy now… okay?" she scoffed, with an affronted smile.

As the girls completed Anna's day-one schedule, they casually made their way back to the Server Hall. Gwen showed Anna the underground tunnels that connected the castle to the student Unions. Each tunnel looked like it was cut out of solid white marble that ended at a circular turret, connecting two of the Dynasty Halls. There, a massive common area allowed students from the two adjoining halls to mingle and visit.

On the left stood a large, blue door with gold lettering and the words: _Enter Thee Servers of the Wizarding World_. To the right was another door, turquoise in color, with the heading: _Enter Thou Artisans of Castlewood_. Next to each door stood a gruff looking crimson guard, eyeing those trying to enter. There were portraits of famous Servers and Artisans wrapped around the walls of the turret's inner space, with at least six individual fireplaces between them. There were chairs and tables of every kind arranged in front of the fireplaces, which looked like small conversation areas that might be shared by the students. A spiral staircase wound its way up the wall to a second and third level balcony, overlooking the large space below. Narrow windows split the steal-gray walls high above, allowing dust-filled beams of light to radiate inward. Within the center of the area, and randomly placed throughout, were sculptures and beautiful paintings created by the Artisan students. Several musical instruments, including a large piano, sat to the side. It was a marvelous room, and Anna took the time to walk its circular perimeter twice before heading toward the Server's entrance door.

"Whelp… this is where I have to leave you. I won't be allowed to continue past this point," Gwen said, looking at the Server door. "I'll meet you down here again at five-thirty, okay?"

"All right… but I hope they know to let me in?" Anna said, motioning toward the very large Crimson Guard standing by the door. "I'm not a Server either, you know."

As Gwen headed off Anna noticed several students staring at her, obviously trying to get a better look at her robes. The embroidered markings on her sleeve and dragon crest put Anna back in the uncomfortable position of being singled out once more. People whispered and pointed at her as she passed. _I wish there was another Guardian in the castle,_ Anna thought fretfully. _At least then they would have somebody else to stare at._ Anna followed the other Servers toward the entranceway until she made eye contact with the Crimson Guard at the door. He quickly stepped forward.

"Halt!"

Anna stopped, not knowing what to say. "I… ah… I think I'm supposed to… uhm…" Anna stammered, lifting herself onto her toes and pointing at the Server's entranceway over the man's shoulder.

"You are the Guardian-Grayson, yes?" asked the guard in a rather grumpy voice.

"Yes, I am," Anna replied, nervously. She noticed the common room had suddenly gone quiet; everybody was now looking directly at her. Anna stared at the guard with her best, almost pleading, _let-me-pass_ face.

"You have been assigned a temporary room within the Great Server Union Hall. Enter the gathering space within and then turn right at your first opportunity. You will find the girl's entrance to the upper floors there. Go up the stairs to the fourth floor hallway. Your room is the first door on the left. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Anna replied, meekly.

A single eyebrow lifted on the guard's forehead. "Follow me."

He turned, and several students parted to make them an aisle. Anna could see two large Server Union crests mounted on the wall on either side of the entranceway. The guard stopped in front of one of the crests and reached into his robes to pull out a small plaque, which he quickly affixed to the wall. As he stepped aside, Anna could see he had mounted a Guardian crest next to the larger Server coat of arms. For the first time since the Joining, Anna felt a twinge of pride as she looked at her crest upon the gray stone. It was much more detailed than the one on her robes; the purple color was deeper and outlined in gold. Several students moved to inspect the crest more closely, as the guard motioned Anna toward the door.

"Have a good evening, Guardian," he said, with a forced smile.

Anna nodded, as she passed him. "Thank you."

As she entered the great hall, Anna gasped. The gathering space inside was absolutely wondrous. Decorated in royal blue, there were two-story windows of strained glass on both sides of a stone walkway down the middle of the vast hall, leading to a far off door barely visible at the other end. The ceiling was at least thirty feet high and painted in a mural of marvelous scenes. The heroic deeds of Servers past were depicted in the ceiling's curved arches and beams. Several tables and chairs sat on both sides of the aisle in what looked like a massive library intermingled within the furnishings. As Anna slowly walked down the hall, several Servers looked up in amazement at the Guardian now walking among them. They all pointed and whispered, comparing their own stripes to those on Anna's arm. A sixth-year girl, in robes of blue and gold trim, approached her.

"Hello. You must be Anna Grayson," the girl assumed, pleasantly.

"Yes, I am. Hello."

"Welcome to the Server Hall, Anna. I'm Karen Scott, one of the Union Knights here."

"Oh… then you might know my brother, Eric," Anna said, hopefully.

The girl smiled. "Everybody knows Eric. We all look to your brother for leadership among the Knights. He's an outstanding student, and a close friend. It will be difficult on everybody, knowing this will be his last year. Do you need any help finding your room?"

"I was told to look for the girl's entrance to the upper levels. I have a room on the fourth floor."

"Yes, you're almost there; I'll show you the way." Anna followed the girl to a wide marble staircase, which turned gracefully up and out of sight above her lit by the glow of many bracketed torches.

"Never mind them," Karen said, eyeing the other students still spying Anna's robes. "Honestly… you'd think they'd never seen a new student before." Anna tried to force a smile. "Well — here you are. Just go straight up four flights and look for your name on the door. Good luck this year, Anna. It was nice meeting you."

"Thank you, it was very nice meeting you too," Anna said, shaking the girl's hand.

She headed up the staircase to the fourth floor, and found a tight row of doors crowded one next to the other all the way down a very long hallway. _The rooms must be the size of a broom closet,_ Anna thought as she searched for her name among the doors. She found her room, knocked, and then stepped inside. To her astonishment, the space within was much bigger than it looked from the hallway. In fact, it was surprisingly huge, containing a living area, a couch, three chairs, two lamps and even a fireplace. A nice bathroom adjoined the bedroom, which included two four-poster beds.

"Wow," Anna said, in surprise. She could see her trunk had been brought up, along with the cage containing the small scops owl from home. She had decided to call the owl Hobbs, after the wizard she had met at home who worked for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. They both had the same bushy mustache. "Oh… sorry about that," Anna said, walking up to the owl's cage. "I didn't know they were bringing you straight to the room," she explained to the owl, which looked very disgruntled at being left alone and locked in its cage all night.

Anna slid one of the windows open, and then unlatched the door to Hobb's cage. "There you go," she said, pointing to the window. The owl hopped through the opening and unfolded himself just above the floor. His handsome wings began to beat with the rhythm of an experienced flyer, turning two complete circles around Anna's head before swooping to the window and landing on its outer ledge. "I have no idea where the owlry is around here, so just give us a tap tonight if you need to come back. I hope you have a good dinner." The owl looked over his shoulder, gave her a forgiving hoot, and then dropped over the edge and out of sight.

Anna could see Sarah's trunk was also in the room, and she groaned at the thought of her new roommate spending her first night at Castlewood alone. Although she wondered how Sarah was getting along, Anna found herself feeling thankful for the privacy.

She sat quietly at the window, overlooking the streets of Spellsburg below. The cobblestone walkways were busy with townspeople and students, walking about and shaking hands with old friends and acquaintances. Having grown up on a remote estate, kept invisible from the prying eyes of Muggles, the city, with all its many characters, seemed incredibly exciting. As Anna ran a finger along the stitched purple band on her arm, she found herself looking forward to the evening's feast.

Without warning, the strangest feeling of unease suddenly swept over her. It was the same feeling she had felt on the hospital floor, like something unseen was again watching her there in the room. Anna looked around suspiciously, listening hard for another heartbeat, focusing her attention on the farthest corners of the room. As suddenly as it was there, the feeling was quickly gone, and a cold loneliness took its place. The cool breeze blowing through the window made her shudder unexpectedly.

Anna found herself looking around watchfully, insuring whatever it was she had sensed earlier was truly gone. She was worried. She had tried to ignore it earlier, but she couldn't anymore. She could feel it again; something left over from her fight with the Dunning girl. Anna could feel a familiar coldness, like a winter's wind, blooming forth from the deepest parts of her soul. The fight had brought it on, and she knew what it was immediately after she had left the other girl behind. It was back; the Lethifold was present once again.

But for some strange reason, the return of the creature did not frighten her as it did before. Maybe it was the ally who had told her she had nothing to fear, that the creature was just an extension of herself. According to the voices in the mirror, this thing was something she had become familiar with through physical contact long ago in the forests of Indonesia. Maybe this lack of fear at the creature's return was because of her talk with Professor Thordarson, who equated some of her abilities to those of Merlin, the Animagus. But, perhaps, the answer was much simpler; Anna was tired. She had grown weary tormenting herself about the creature's presence ever since that terrible night in Damon's room. Day after day, she worried about the Lethifold's existence within her, and whether it would ever come back again. Anna was weary of her own anxiety, exhausted from her efforts to guard against this thing she had become. She was now forced to believe she had the ability to control this creature if she could only summon the courage to try.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Reaching deep, she carefully tried to lure the creature forward. _There's nothing to fear; we are one_, she thought to herself cautiously. Stretching still deeper, Anna located the very spot where the cold presence seemed to center itself. She finally relaxed, and gently let her guard down, allowing the cold within to spread throughout her body. A wave of unbelievable iciness began to penetrate her skin from the inside out. Anna opened her eyes and could see dark, misty clouds of smoke forming around her head and arms once more. The blackness seemed to bleed from every pore in her skin, and she could feel her body begin to lighten then rise to hover over the bed. The light in the room was suddenly far too bright, and she instinctually slid to the floor, to the safety of darkness under her bed.

_I'm okay. I'm still in control; it's still me._

A swift urge of starving hunger seemed to come out of nowhere and move to overwhelm her, and it was at this moment that Anna finally knew the change was complete. She was once again the living shroud, the thing they called the Lethifold.

_I'm still in control, _Anna said to herself, trying to ward off the panic now working to engulf her. _This is what it must be like to be this creature, always hungry, longing to feed, looking for food. But I'm still a Grayson, I'm not starving, I'm okay; everything is fine. _Anna's senses erupted forth once again, and she could smell the food of living creatures all around her. She wanted to go to them, to search them out, to feed.

_No! I will not let go of who I am. _Anna slowly hovered out from under the bed and then up the wall. She laid flat to the ceiling for a moment, and then slid down again to the open window, creeping unhurriedly around the wall to the outside. If anybody looked up at her now, they would only see a dark shadow cast against the gray stone of the Union tower. She watched them hungrily, the creatures walking around on the streets below, and although she wanted to join them, to hunt them, she remained calm, concentrating on her control.

Anna slowly slid back inside the window to her room, stretched out, and then hovered through the air to her bed. _It's time to put you away now_, she said calmly in her mind, as if telling a favorite pet their walk was now over. _Don't worry. We'll do this again. It's all right… in you go_.

She tried to imagine an inner door to her soul, which, when opened, would give her a place to keep this newfound companion. Anna tried to concentrate on the warm beaches of her far-away home, and she could feel her skin immediately begin to thaw. She could sense the creature slowly sinking into her chest, and with it, the terrible hunger, and the anger within. Anna's body began to press down on the bed as her weight slowly returned.

Finally, Anna opened her eyes and looked out the window. "You poor — poor thing," she said, her returning voice shaking uncontrollably. "Always so scared, so cold, and starving all the time; so misunderstood." Blackened tears poured forth from Anna's eyes as she watched what remained of the sun drop below the mountains surrounding Castlewood.

202


	19. A Night of Knights

Chapter 19d26 – A Night of Knights

Chapter 19

A Night of Knights

ONE

At five-thirty Anna was back in the turret room nervously waiting for Gwen. Although becoming the Lethifold had somehow settled her anger, she was still very anxious about Eric's decision regarding the Presidency. Convincing herself her brother would never resign the post before he started; she thought it reasonable to assume her father must have talked him into accepting the job after all. After finding Gwen, they made their way back to the castle for the start of term feast.

"Um…Anna? Did they tell you where you would be sitting for dinner?" Gwen asked, as they entered the floor of the Rotunda.

"Ah… no. I guess I'll just sit…" but Anna stopped when she realized the point of Gwen's question. The five Union tables were full of students seated for dinner, each draped in their Union colors. Although amazing to see, the sight of it didn't seem all that personally inviting to Castlewood's first Guardian.

"Anna," called a voice over the mulling crowd. Anna looked around to find her sister Tencha coming toward her. "Come with me. I'll show you where you're sitting."

"Oh, okay… thanks," Anna said, somewhat relieved. "I'll see you after dinner, then," she said, looking back at Gwen.

"Good luck… and try to relax," Gwen replied with a smile, giving her a perky thumb's up. Anna followed her sister who directed her to a tiny table sitting in front of the Searchers. A single chair sat empty at the table, which was covered with a small purple tablecloth.

Tencha pointed to the chair and smiled. "There you are kiddo – enjoy!" she said with a giggle, and then turned to walk back to her own seat next to Dowla.

Anna groaned. "You've got to be kidding?" Why couldn't she just sit with the rest of the Servers, or with a member of her own family? She reluctantly sat down, avoiding the stare of those in the Rotunda she knew were watching her.

When everybody was finally seated, Professor Thordarson entered the room and the students immediately stood. The Chancellor stepped onto the platform and smiled.

"Please… please, sit." He was dressed in red and gold robes, a flattened hat, and very dark glasses. His voice seemed to sing with joy as he spoke. "I know we're all looking forward to our wonderful feast, but we do have some unfinished business that must first be attended to. Due to the unusual events of last night," Anna felt her body slide down into her chair, "we have yet to announce the position of Student Body President for the upcoming year. And although our remaining Union Knights have done remarkably well in rising to the occasion and getting everybody settled in, they will need some help. So, without further ado, I would like to make these happy announcements now."

Anna looked around, trying to locate Eric among all the others Servers seated behind her. She could see Sarah Bell at the table, looking much more comfortable than the night before, but still, no Eric. She noticed Damon scanning the room for their brother as well. Anna looked back over her other shoulder at the twins and mouthed, '_Where's Eric?' _ Her sisters shrugged unknowingly as Professor Thordarson continued.

"The Castlewood Student President is a time-honored position of great importance. To fill this post, we look to our seventh-years with top academic marks and proven leadership skills for the benefit of all our students. And so, without further delay…" he paused as he removed a small scroll from the pocket of his robes. He unrolled the scroll and said, in a loud and very clear voice, "Our new Student Body President is…" Anna thought she felt her heart stop, "Nancy Dodimayer!"

An explosion of yelling and screaming suddenly erupted from the Laborers' table to Anna's right. The entire Union was on their feet, whooping, and cheering loudly as a tall black girl in Knight's robes stood with a look of surprised shock on her face. As the girl made her way forward, Anna buried her face into her hands and uncontrollable tears of disbelief immediately burst forth. For the first time in her life Anna wished she had never heard of Castlewood. This was all her fault. Her brother had turned this honor down… because of her. She could hear the applause getting louder, and she looked up in time to see the new Castlewood President walking up the steps of the platform. Anna slowly turned to find her sisters stunned, their faces screwed up in horror and incredulity, completely astonished at what had just happened. She looked around and could see Damon standing at the Defender's table, yelling over the cheering crowd, trying without success to get the Chancellor's attention. A girl with dark hair sitting next to him was tugging on his robes and finally yanked him back into his seat to quiet him. He fell down into his chair, throwing up his hands in unreserved disgust.

Professor Thordarson reached out to the girl stepping nervously onto the platform and embraced her. He then reached into his robes and pulled out a heavy silver chain attached to the President's amulet, the very same ornament Eric had given to Anna to hold the night before. Anna cringed as Thordarson draped the amulet over the girl's bowed head, and then flinched again as the cheering from the crowd abruptly turned into a booming roar. Anna sobbed, shaking her head in disbelief as Thordarson backed away and began clapping with the rest. He glanced down at Anna and, for a briefest moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of understanding and sympathy. The Chancellor came forward again, and asked the girl to raise her right hand. The Rotunda suddenly went very quiet.

"Do you solemnly swear to uphold the laws and traditions of this academy, to preserve and protect its charter, and to lead, through positive example, the students of Castlewood — so help you God?"

"I do," said the girl, in a voice filled with reverence.

"Way to go Nancy!" screamed a voice from the Labor Union table, and the crowd exploded into loud applause again. Nancy walked forward to the edge of the platform with the President's amulet shining bright around her, with her hands held high, waving in jubilation. Anna felt sick as she turned to Damon again. There were three other Defenders now encircled around him, but he was still pounding the table in a fit of confused rage. Anna looked desperately for Eric, but he wasn't anywhere in the room. _Maybe he was too upset to be seen. Perhaps the faculty had recognized his hesitancy to accept the position, which lead them to choose another student without waiting for his answer._

The Chancellor handed Nancy another large scroll and then whispered something into her ear. She nodded, and then raised a hand to quiet the crowd.

"Thank you… thank you all so much for your support. Well… this is quite a shock," she said humbly, and everybody laughed. "I would also like to thank Chancellor Thordarson, the professors, teachers, and the academy staff for putting their trust in me. I will do everything in my power to insure their faith has not been misplaced. I will also do everything I can to earn the trust of my fellow students, and act as a strong advocate for you throughout this upcoming year." The cheering began again, and although Anna hated the idea of somebody other than her brother being selected as President, she could immediately see why the teachers were able to move so quickly to choose this girl to replace him. She instantly took charge.

"The Chancellor has asked me to announce this year's new Union Knights. She unrolled the scroll Thordarson had given to her. "As I announce each name, would you please join me here on the platform?" She raised the scroll to eye level, "From the Server's Union, Karen Scott." There was polite clapping as the girl whom Anna had met earlier in the Server Hall stood and walked to the platform. As she approached the new President, Captain Dunning stepped into view and handed Nancy a bright, silver sword. She turned to the Knight and showed her the sword. "Do you swear to uphold the traditions and bylaws of your Union Dynasty, to obey the President and the Academy's Captain of the Guard?"

"I do," Karen replied stiffly. The President handed her the sword, which she accepted with a smile before hugging the new Student President. Nancy Dodimayer continued calling out the names, two boys, and two girls, for every Union. Anna waited, thinking she would finally see Eric accepting his sword again as a Union Knight, but, to her surprise, this did not happen. To the shock of almost everybody sitting at the Server table, Eric was not called to be a Knight. Anna broke down again, quietly sobbing alone at her table. _Eric… where are you? What have you done?_

Finally, the Knights for the Defenders were called, and to the Grayson's surprise, Damon was named a Knight. Although still visibly upset about Eric's failure to rise to the Presidency, Damon walked to the platform and accepted his sword. When the President had finished announcing all the names on the scroll, she handed it back to the Chancellor who then stepped forward again to speak.

"Congratulations to all of our new student leaders. I am sure they will do an outstanding job in the upcoming year. I do, however, have a few remaining announcements before we dig into this fabulous feast." He stepped to the edge of the platform as the new President and Union Knights fell back.

"Last night, a great opportunity was delivered to us. The birth of a new Union is an extremely rare event, and, as the Chancellor of this fine school, it is incumbent upon me to do everything I can to make it successful. For the better part of the day, the academy staff and I have set upon the task of deciding how this new Union is to be sustained. Although we are very excited about the possibilities, our ability to preserve this Union, alas, remains in doubt."

Anna's heart dropped. _What did he mean, in doubt?_ There was a low mummer among the students as they struggled to listen to the Chancellor's every word.

"We have decided, therefore, in order to sustain this new Union and allow it to continue as a Dynasty, fifty students within these walls tonight must join the Guardians before the end of the school year."

"What did he say?" whispered a number of students together. The murmur of voices was increasing in volume as everybody began to repeat what they had just heard. The Chancellor raised his hands to quiet the crowd once more.

"This…" he said in a loud voice, "will be a two step process." He stepped forward to gather their attention once again. "First, I would ask all of you to consider your position within the current Union in which you sit, and, as we learn together what it means to be a Guardian," he motioned a hand toward Anna's table, "ask yourself if the possibility exists for a change." The room was suddenly quiet. "And if, in this self-examination, you begin to believe that your interests and ambitions might align more closely to what you see here, please inform a member of the staff and they will see to it that you take the second step… and reenter the Mirror of Enlightenment."

There was a sharp gasp from the crowd, which the Chancellor seemed to ignore. "Of course… any student asking to go through the mirror again," he continued loudly, "will do so in complete privacy. No one need know of your search for the truth in this matter, other than you." Professor Thordarson smiled kindly. "Change… is not something to fear, but something we should embrace if it brings with it even the remote possibility of the truth. I know many of you are questioning the validity of passing through the Mirror of Enlightenment a second time and you would be correct to do so. After all, up to tonight, no student has ever been given the opportunity to pass through the mirror twice. But…I am ready now to announce, for some of you, I am convinced passing through the mirror again will invoke a change of Union." There was a growing rumble of descent in the crowd, but before the protestors could synchronize their objection, Professor Thordarson moved to quiet them once more.

"It has already happened tonight! One of our students has recently volunteered to reenter the mirror and, as a result, has been joined to the new Guardian Union."

There was another sharp gasp of disbelief from the students and Anna jerked up in shock. _Who could it be?_ At that moment, a door suddenly opened to their right and Professor Titan entered the room with another student following close behind him. It was Eric. Anna slowly stood, uncertain of what she was seeing. The color on her brother's robes had changed from the black and royal blue of the Servers Union to the purple markings of a Guardian. Anna stepped back in horror as Eric walked up to her table, smiling broadly.

"Eric, what is this? What have you done?"

He reached out and took his sister's hands. "I was out and about, searching for the truth." He glanced down at his new robes and then chuckled. "And I… well… I guess I found it."

"But your post… the Presidency… you should have…"

"I am your brother first, Anna, and I can help the school best in this way. As soon as Professor Thordarson told me how he planned to sustain the new Union, I immediately volunteered to reenter the mirror again myself. I only wanted it to validate what it told me six years ago when it placed me in the Server's Union. And well… as you can plainly see, apparently it believed a change was in order." Anna's eyes began to blur with her own tears. She looked up and saw Damon now standing at the edge of the platform, looking at the two of them in utter disbelief. Tencha and Dowla ran over to join them.

"Eric — What the hell happened?" said Tencha, pushing her brother straight to look at his robes properly. "What's going on? Does this mean you're a Guardian now? What about the Servers?" Anna looked up and could see the students at the Servers table staring at Eric, a senior member of their Dynasty, a Knight, now standing in the robes of another Union.

Suddenly a voice called from the platform. "Eric Grayson!" They all turned and saw the Student President motioning Eric toward the platform's steps. Eric quickly nodded and joined Nancy and Professor Thordarson on the stage.

Nancy looked somewhat confused as Eric stood before her. "Surprises for everyone tonight, ay? Eric, I really don't know how this happened. My being named President, I mean. I thought… well… all indications were that you…"

Eric smiled. "Nancy, you're going to make an outstanding President, and I can't think of anybody more deserving of this post than you," Eric shook her hand and then quickly hugged her, "Congratulations, Madam President." There was strong applause coming from the teachers' balcony above them and the rest of the students, confused and somewhat dazed, politely joined in.

As Eric moved to return to Anna's table, Nancy stopped him once again. "Hold on there, Grayson," she called. Eric turned around and saw her smiling at Professor Thordarson. She stepped forward once more. "Eric, it would be a shame to let your talents and skills go unused this year. Although you cannot continue in your old role as a Knight in the Server Union… there's no reason why you can't be a Knight in your new Union, as a Guardian." She reached around and asked for another sword from Dunning, and Anna could see the captain's face fall into a disappointed grimace as he passed it forward to her. Nancy turned again and reached out to hand Eric the sword. "The school needs you, Eric. I need you," She looked down at Anna, "and your sister needs you. Take this. Be a Knight for your new Union. Help us understand what's happening and why the Guardians have come to us. Find out what we should tell those who will now come after you. Please… take the sword."

Eric glanced over to Anna who stood trembling, not knowing what to say. He looked at Professor Thordarson who smiled to give an encouraging nod. He looked down again at the sword, lying in Nancy's open palms and grinned.

"I accept," he said proudly, and then lifted the sword out of her hands. Eric turned to face the students and, swishing the sword expertly left and right, he raised the flat of the blade to his forehead. "I promise to obey our new President, the Captain of the Guard, and to uphold the traditions and bylaws of my Union Dynasty." He peered around the blade at Anna below him and whispered, "Whatever they may come to be. I will now, and forever more, be known as a Guardian Knight, protector of Castlewood Academy." With this promise made, the Rotunda broke into warm applause.

Professor Thordarson shook Eric's hand and as the he watched the first Guardian Knight make his way back to Anna's table, he opened his arms wide to the crowd and joyfully proclaimed, "Let the feast begin!"

He clapped his hands twice and immediately the high ceiling in the Rotunda began to turn. The stone arches and beams dissolved into a pool of liquid, like that of a raging sea over their heads. Lightning flashed as the ocean above whipped about, looking to fall down upon them all. Then, from each inverted storm cap appeared…. a small bubble. Two or three at first, soon there were hundreds of bubbles of every size and color, dropping slowly and silently into the crowd below. The students laughed and _oohed _as each bubble finally came within their reach. They began to pop them, and when they did, beautiful butterflies of matching color shot forth from within. Soon hundreds of butterflies were swirling in a tight mass back toward the ceiling and the floating sea above them. The students watched as each reentered the water within the ceiling, and as they did, another bubble dropped to replace it. Laughing and clapping wildly, the students were amazed at the wondrous sight. Even tiny Sarah Bell was giggling and standing on her chair to get to the bubbles around her.

"They're beautiful," she sang out, as she jumped up to pop one over her head.

Finally, one of the bubbles reached the surface of the table unnoticed, and, as it touched down upon the tablecloth, it popped, leaving behind a platter of turkey in its place. Another bubble made it down, popped, and became a large bowl of vegetables. Soon, the students started to understand what was happening.

"No, don't pop them…. I'm starved!" said a boy at the Defenders' table, who sat to snatch up his knife and fork. Another bubble landed on Anna's table, leaving behind a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Anna was laughing in marveled appreciation, as Eric took her glass and filled it to the brim. Within minutes, the tables were full of wonderful dishes of every kind imaginable, and Eric and Anna finally sat to eat. Soon, the laughing and cheering was transformed into the happy buzz of many students plowing hungrily into their evening meal.

Anna looked at her brother's new robes. "Eric, I wish you hadn't done this. The family is going to be very disappointed. Don't you think Daddy would…?"

"Father already knows about my decision on this, Anna. He not only understands my opinion, but he agrees with it as well. He believes, just as I do, that we need to put all of our attention into this new Union. This is far more important than any single honor that might be given to us."

Anna reached out to hold her brother's arm. "Why is it only the best people have to make all the sacrifices?" she said, reverently.

"The family should always be there when we need it, Anna. That's the way Father has asked us to live our lives. It's never a sacrifice when it's family," he replied, patting her hand lovingly.

"But what if there are no more Guardians? What if no one else is willing to walk though the mirror again like you did? Then all of this will have been for nothing," Anna said, worriedly. Just then, a very large bubble slowly settled down on the floor next to them. It popped, leaving behind another empty chair at their table. Anna frowned and then looked up at Chancellor Thordarson sitting at the table in his viewing box. He smiled, and then raised his cup in salute to them.

"Apparently, the Chancellor is a bit more optimistic about our chances for success than you are," Eric said, with a grin.

The rest of the evening was spent in happy conversation and delicious celebration of the start of term. In time, Sarah, Gwen, and the twins joined Anna and Eric at the Guardian table. They discussed their upcoming classes, and Eric gave them his insight on the various teachers and professors they would be studying with during the year. An argument broke out later in the evening when Damon joined their table. He was very upset when he found out why Eric had turned down the President's post. Anna rolled her eyes at Gwen, knowing full well that, for someone like Damon, Eric's sacrifice would be impossible to understand.

TWO

At the Grayson estate, Mister Grayson was at his desk in his office, working to finish the evening's business. It had been a terribly, busy day and he was looking forward to going to bed early. Keeping busy was his only goal in the days following the children's departure to school. It was the same every year. The summer holiday, together with Christmas and Easter, were the happiest days of his life, the time when his family was together again at last. He already missed his children, and he knew it was going to be especially difficult this year, because Anna wasn't with him. Although he was proud and happy for his youngest daughter, he had unexpectedly grown dependent on Anna to keep him company while the rest of his children were away and at their studies. Mister Grayson was alone for the first time in his life, and, with a growing feeling of foreboding, he realized he didn't like it. No… he didn't like it at all.

He picked up a book and opened it to a marked chapter entitled, _Merlin's Guardians_. He began reading from the very old and dusty pages, taking notes on some curled parchment to the side.

_There has always been a great deal of speculation about a secretive group of wizards and witches who called themselves 'The Guardians'. In their day, this group of powerful sorcerers looked to Merlin for leadership, but their goals and ambitions are of great study and interpretation fifteen hundred years later. The general conclusion of these studies suggest the Guardians had come together to protect the creatures, places, and objects of magic during the most troubling times in wizard history. During the rise of the dark wizard, Honszoil, there were eyewitness accounts of Guardians fighting against his evil minions in order to protect several magical objects they had sought to steal and use for their master's terrible purposes. On its surface, this would seem a most noble cause, but there were also reports of fighting between the Guardians and the members of the legendary Wizard's Cluster, who were looking to occupy some highly magical places in their battle against Honszoil. It would seem the aspirations of the Guardians were more in line with keeping magic, in all its many forms, safe rather than joining either side of the fight. In a now famous quote, a Guardian named Zelenak was reported to have said, 'Who wins this battle is of little consequence if, in the end, all of magic is destroyed. We follow our Sithmaith to protect that which cannot protect itself.'_

Mister Grayson finished scratching his notes and then tossed his quill into the center of the book. He stretched, settled back into his leather chair, and then slowly swiveled around to gaze up at the portrait of Victoria Grayson on the wall behind him. The man sunk low into his seat, staring at the lovely face looking down at him from the picture.

"She is so much like you, Victoria," he said, longingly of Anna. "She has your fire and passion for life. There isn't a day that goes by when I see her that I don't think of you." He laid his tired head into one of his hands. "I miss you so much," he moaned, somberly.

Suddenly, there was a sharp clang in the adjoining room, and Mister Grayson raised his head to frown. There it was again… another sound, a thump this time, coming through his office wall. He stared at the door across the dimly lit space leading to his boardroom. He stood and walked over to the door, barely noticing how unusually cold the doorknob was as he entered the room.

The conference room was very dark, but still, even through the gloom surrounding him, he could see the space was empty.

"Meredith? Are you still here?" he called out, and then listened for a response. He finally noticed the chill in the air. "Strange… what's wrong with the heat in here?" Mister Grayson stepped into the room and walked its full length toward one of the many fireplaces sitting quiet in the dark. He pulled out his wand and lowered it toward the logs sitting in the grate. "_Incendio_," he whispered, and as the wood exploded at his feet, the man thought he heard something unexpected behind him.

"Sshh!"

Mister Grayson spun around and thought, for the briefest moment, he heard a whisper trailing off in the darkness.

"Decccceived…."

"Cookie? Is that you?"

There was a knock, a faint rap, that he recognized coming from his outer office again. He cautiously looked around, and then heaved a resigned sigh as he slipped his wand back into his pocket and made his way to the door across the room.

"Lights!" he said sharply, and the golden globes in his office immediately brightened. "Come in!" he barked.

Widwick stepped into the room holding a tray. "Iz brought you's some tea, sir," said the elf in his charming boyish voice.

Mister Grayson sat down at his desk again. "Thank you, Widwick. I'll take it here, please," he replied, looking up with a frown. "Have you seen Cookie and Gabby around?" he asked, glancing over to the door of his conference room.

"Oh… Iz just left them in the kitchen, sir. Would you's like me to summon them's for you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I just… wanted to know where they were." He rubbed his eyes again. "I'm very tired, Widwick. Could you put the fireplace out in the next room before you go to bed?"

"Of course Iz will, sir. Iz would be happy to. Would you's like some dinner, sir? You's haven't eaten anything tonight."

"No, thank you. I'm… not very hungry."

Widwick frowned. "Master Grayson, sir, Iz know what you is thinking. Old Widwick knows his Master well, he does," the elf said, lovingly. "You is missing the children, you is."

Mister Grayson smiled as he fell back into his chair. "Yes, old friend… I admit it; I miss them already," he said, in an exasperated tone. "More than ever." Then he abruptly snapped forward. "But there is work to be done, and the Ministry is counting on us to make sure we carry on properly even when it might be personally difficult."

"Yes, sir," Widwick replied sorrowfully. "Is the same for Gabby as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Iz never seen an elf in such a state, Master. She misses Miss Anna, sir. You know, theys never been apart since Miss Anna is born. And now Iz afraid Gabby is feelwing rather… unelfish without her mistress, sir."

"Rubbish!" Mister Grayson said, flatly. "This family needs all of us working together. You and Gabby are a part of our lives, a part of this family. We cannot be one without all."

Widwick smiled proudly. "Iz tried to tell her, Master, but Gabby is set in her mind, she is."

Mister Grayson thought. "Then I'll speak to her personally. In fact, I have an idea I believe will help the family, and put her right."

He took a sip from his cup and stretched. "Well, Widwick, I'll be going to bed now. Can I get you to help me carry some of these scrolls upstairs for me?"

"Of course, sir."

As Mister Grayson followed Widwick out the door, he peeked back at the portrait of Victoria behind his desk. "Goodnight, sweetheart," he said softly. He slowly turned down the lights and closed the door.

Only the dim portrait light was left in the room, which shined down on the painting's surface with a warm amber glow. Within the darkness, the room's temperature began to drop suddenly, and the floor started to groan from the ice forming quietly between its planks. The objects on Mister Grayson's desk started to quake and wobble. A small statue on the corner began to vibrate so intensely it walked itself off the desk and crashed to the floor. The portrait of Victoria Grayson began to shudder as a whitened frost started forming around its golden frame. An ice-cold fog blew down upon the surface of the canvas, and an angry presence seemed to settle itself on the portrait. The face in the picture was pressed flat against the wall as the image of a hand became visible on its surface. The portrait light suddenly went out.

"Ssssssssssssssss," hissed a voice, within the frozen fog filling the room. There was a terrible rip, a slashing sound, and then the loud bang of the door to the hallway slamming against its stops.

As the temperature of the room slowly returned to normal, the light above the portrait flickered and then popped on once again. The portrait still hung slightly tilted on the wall, but a horrible slash was now visible from one side of the frame to the other and across the neck of Victoria Grayson.

Mister Grayson made his way upstairs toward the bedrooms with Widwick following close behind. As he entered his room, Mister Grayson set his scrolls down and turned expectantly to see Widwick enter after him. The door suddenly slammed shut so abruptly that a small landscape on the adjoining wall fell to the floor with a crash. Widwick approached the now closed bedroom door and knocked.

"Master Grayson, sir. Iz have your…"

"Ssssssssssssssss," came a loud hiss from within the room. Widwick stopped suddenly as he heard Mister Grayson's panicked voice.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Widwick looked down and then stepped back in shock as an ice-cold fog began rising up from under the door, and he could hear some unknown voice shatter everything the elf knew to be normal within the Grayson estate.

"Betrayed! Decccceeeived!" hissed someone inside.

"Mister Grayson?" yelled Widwick worriedly. He began pounding on the bedroom door. "Who is in there wif you's, sir?" There was no reply, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of a struggle within the room. There was a loud thump, and then the blast from a wand.

"Stay back! Back — I say!" yelled Mister Grayson. Widwick heard another blast, the sound of something thrown, and then the unmistakable sound of somebody choking.

"Betrayed!" screamed the strange voice again.

"Help — help!" shrieked Widwick in the hallway and over the railings downstairs. "The Master is being attacked! Help! Upstairs – wez need help!"

The elf ran back to the door, trying desperately to turn the knob. There was a deafening crash and then a slam on the side of the wall that collided so violently, it knocked Widwick to the floor in the hallway. Jumping to his feet again, Widwick ran back, shrieking and throwing his tiny body into the massive oak door.

"Master! Master, I is coming to help!" The elf closed his eyes and, placing both hands upon the door to help focus his mind, he whispered, "I is coming, Master."

With all the elfishness he had in him, Widwick concentrated on the magic necessary to Apparate through the door. There was a loud POP, and when Widwick opened his eyes he found himself standing in the kitchen. Screeching in self-disgust, the tiny elf raced through the door and into the dining room to the sound of screaming portraits ringing in his ears. Running through the family room and into the entranceway, Widwick galloped on all fours up the staircase. As he approached his master's room again, he heard another blast from within, a swishing sound, and then a tiny section of the wall exploded outward. The elf saw something shoot past him, like an arrow just missing his nose. With a sharp _twang_, it stuck itself into the railing opposite. Widwick recognized the object immediately; it was his Master's wand. The elf froze. There was another terrible smash, which sent a ceiling fixture in the hallway crashing to the floor, just missing the elf rolling to the side. Widwick could hear the sliding collapse of something heavy against the wall. Finally, there was silence.

"Master?" Widwick called, in a frightened voice. From inside the room, he could hear the ugly hissing sound begin to penetrate the silence once more.

"Ssssssssssssssss."

There was a loud BOOM that seemed to shake the entire house, and the elf knew beyond any doubt that it was the sound of a body being thrown against the other side of the door.

212


	20. The Secret Seer

Chapter 20d17 – The Secret Seer

Chapter 20

The Secret Seer

ONE

Anna and Sarah Bell followed the rest of the students back to their Halls, tired and full, after the start of term feast. The two roommates said very little to one another as they crawled into their warm four-poster beds, looking for their pillows. Tired as Anna was, Sarah had fallen asleep even before she did. She could hear her roommate's rhythmic breathing in the opposite corner, while the very full moon lit Hobb's cage sitting empty in the dark.

Seconds later, Anna was dreaming. She was cloaked in a dark forest, walking quietly by herself through the trees under the same bright moon. Although the setting was unfamiliar, the darkness surrounding her made Anna feel secure, the sovereign of everything she could see and sense. For some unknown reason, she felt more at home here, alone in the night, than at anytime in her life. Then it came to her, and she suddenly knew what she was doing there by herself in the woods. She was ravenous and eagerly looking to satisfy a craving for… something in the shadows. She was hunting.

She stopped to look back; she could smell something behind her, coming nearer with each passing second. She could hear it breathing, its heart beating. Anna closed her eyes and watched as the picture in her mind began to move through the trees toward the sound coming ever nearer. The brainless thing was unknowingly walking closer to its own death. As the picture in Anna's mind raced through the undergrowth, her senses locked on the exact position of the thing wadding through the forest. Anna opened her eyes and smiled. She raised her arms and, without a wand or a door to lift her, she shot into the night sky. Effortlessly, she zoomed through the nearly black canopy to circle back and, like a predator, behind the thing walking into disaster below. She saw it beneath her now, muttering stupidly to itself.

"I've got you now, Grayson. I'll have you out of Castlewood tomorrow," the thing said, struggling to keep a steady pace. Squatting high in the branches behind the creature, Anna smiled evilly. It was Debbie Dunning. Anna could see her fat little body and short curly hair stumbling across the roots, swearing every few steps as she tripped along.

"Soooooo," Anna whispered to herself, treacherously, "It thinks it's following me. Looking to catch me, when in fact she's the one who will be caught." Anna let go of the branch she was holding, swooped silently through the green-gray mist covering the ground, and lightly touched down behind the girl. She watched her trip and fall into a thorny bush at her feet. Anna could instantly smell the girl's blood from her cuts, and she closed her eyes to suck the air and the ecstasy of the warm flow.

"Oaf!" Anna growled, loud enough to be heard. Dunning scrambled to her feet and jerked a wand into the darkness behind her.

"Who's there?" Dunning hollered, but nobody was there. Like an invisible rush of wind, Anna had circled around behind her again. She was playing with the thing, standing there in the dark with her arm out-stretched and shaking. Anna leaned in close behind her, her lips nearly touching the girl's ear. She could smell her sweat, see the veins in her neck pulsating with the blood her frightened heart pushed through her trembling body.

"Are you hunting me tonight?" Anna whispered into her ear. Debbie gasped and whipped around once more. Too late, Anna was already behind her again.

"Where are you?" yelled the girl, her voice now breaking in panic.

"Drinking your blood, Dunning!" Anna whispered next to her ear again. The girl spun around and screamed when she saw Anna's face next to hers. Debbie tried to bring her wand hand around, but Anna caught her by the wrist in mid-air without looking. She lifted the girl off her feet effortlessly.

"A succulent little piggy for dinner tonight," Anna said, bearing her teeth. Dunning screamed as Anna plunged into the girl's neck. The blood flowed like a gushing fountain into Anna's mouth, and she smiled in wanting rapture. She could feel the girl's struggling body deflating in her arms as she sucked the life out of her.

"Someone you love has been injured!" came an unexpected voice through the darkness. Anna opened her eyes and bolted upright in her bed. The dream was over, and Anna grabbed at her mouth in horror. There was a familiar, salty taste there and on her lips. Fearing the worse, Anna used a hand to wipe her tongue and held it up to the light of the moon shining into her bed. It was blood. Panicked, Anna wiped her lips and chin; she found more blood there. She had bitten her own tongue.

"Someone you love… someone in your family, has been attacked tonight," came an unfamiliar voice from across the room. Anna looked over and saw the small shadow of Sarah sitting upright in her bed.

"Sarah?" What did you say?" There was no reply. She could see her roommate from the side, her head lulled down against her chest. "Sarah? Are you awake?" Anna whispered. She reached over and pulled the curtains on the window open fully. The bright moonlight filled the room and Anna could now see Sarah more clearly.

"Someone from your family is coming to help you," Sarah said, without looking up. Her voice was different, choppy, and lower than normal.

"What? What are you talking about? Sarah? Sarah, wake up!" Anna now realized Sarah was still sleeping. Anna wiped her mouth again. The bleeding had stopped but her tongue was still raw and very sore.

"Tomorrow… you will see the dwelling place of the evil one!" said the strangely shrill voice.

Anna jerked around. "What did you say?" she replied, in surprise. "Sarah! What was that?"Her roommate didn't respond. Anna watched the girl slowly fall back into her pillow, grunted as if she were poked, and then quickly rolled over to face the wall.

"Sarah?"

She could hear Sarah's breathing returning to its normal, quiet slumber. Anna lay back down and rolled over to look out the window.

"Great, a roommate who talks in her sleep. I hope that doesn't happen every night," she said, wearily. _But what was that she said? Somebody in your family was injured? And somebody is coming to help? _Anna smiled. _I wonder what she was dreaming about?_ Then she frowned. _You will see the dwelling place of the evil one?_ That comment sounded as if it was directed at her, because she had heard something close to that before when she was inside the mirror. The evil one, the one that altered her at birth, it said, was nearby in a prison of its own making. _But Sarah couldn't have been talking about that. That would be silly. _Anna reached out and pulled the curtains on the window closed. As her tired mind drifted off to sleep again, Anna forgot all about her own dream of hunting in the forest.

TWO

Tap-Tap-Tap.

Anna heard a far-off rapping noise in her head. It seemed to batter through her comfortable sleep like an intruder wanting in.

"Come in," Anna moaned resentfully, and she rolled over hoping that, whoever it was, would go away.

Tap-Tap, Tap-Tap-Tap continued the sound.

"I'm sleeping here!" Anna said, more forcefully.

"Anna, I think there's something at the window," came a voice from across the room. Anna opened her eyes and saw Sarah, already dressed, and pointing at the window behind her.

"Huh? What? Oh!" Anna said, sitting up quickly. She opened the curtains of the window to see Hobbs pacing on the outer ledge. She slid the window open. "Good morning," Anna said brightly. The owl hopped on the inside ledge, and then quickly onto Anna's bed. The damp morning breeze entering the room told Anna it had rained during the night and the wet cobblestone walkways of Spellsburg below confirmed it. The owl puffed up his feathers and shook himself vigorously.

"Oh," Sarah gasped, "she's beautiful. Is she yours? What's her name?"

Anna smiled as she smoothed the owl's soft feathers. "HIS name is Hobbs, and yes, he is beautiful, isn't he?" The owl dipped his head affectionately, begging for a scratch behind the neck, and Anna was happy to oblige.

"I think he's gorgeous," Sarah said, sitting on her bed to gaze at the bird. Hobbs unfolded his wings, as if to give Sarah a better look at his plumage. He hopped up, flapped once, and landed next to Sarah with a graveled screech. She eagerly reached out and smoothed the owl's feathers back into place. "Oh, I wish my Mommy and Daddy would let me have a pet," she said, scratching Hobb's favorite spot on the neck. He gave her an affectionate nip on the finger, raised his shoulders, and hopped into the air again. With two easy flaps of his wings, he was back in his cage, preening in preparation for a nice rest.

"Where are you from, Sarah?" Anna asked, as she moved to unpack her trunk.

"Minnesota," Sarah replied, walking over to Hobb's cage to watch his daily routine. "I have five other brothers and sisters. There's Judy and Joann; they're the oldest. And then there's Mark, Bill, and David. And then there's me."

"Wow, six children. Excellent. Well, you've met all of my brothers and sisters. I have two of each. I'm the youngest in my family too."

"Yes, I spent some time with your brother Eric yesterday when he helped me move into our room. I like him, he's very nice."

Anna smiled agreeably. "Yep, that's Eric. I know I'm not supposed to say this, but he's my favorite. I don't get along with the others all that much. We're always fighting about something." They spent the next thirty minutes chatting about their homes and what they would miss the most about being away. Sarah's parents, it turned out, lived on the side of a ski hill, and gave classes and instruction during the winter.

"Wow, I've never been skiing before," Anna said, as she headed for the shower. They continued their discussion as Anna finished her hair, and then she told Sarah how she had only received her letter from Castlewood the week before they arrived.

"Weird. And you were never able to do any magic before that time?" Sarah asked, watching Anna experiment with a variety of hairstyles. Anna opened her jewelry box, and Sarah watched in amazement as an assortment of pretty hair clips and pins jumped out and hopped about, hoping to be chosen.

"Wow, would you look at that," Sarah said, peering under Anna's arm.

Anna smiled, looking at Sarah in the mirror "Would you like to try one? I have to warn you, though… some of these clips don't know how to behave in public," and Anna told Sarah about her last ride on a Muggle school bus. Sarah laughed as she picked up the little red hair clip, which had caused all the trouble with the Drummond girl.

"So… you're a nasty little tiger, aren't you?" she said, stroking the back of the clip gently. Anna watched in amusement as the little red clip began to purr in Sarah's hand and then pop open, hoping for a chance to go out. Sarah smiled keenly, looking up at Anna in the mirror.

"Go ahead, wear it if you like. But don't say I didn't warn you." Sarah beamed as she moved next to Anna in the mirror and slid the clip into place, which snapped itself shut with an evil giggle.

"Very nice," Anna said, admiring the adornment. She leaned in, "But I really think he's just smoozing you," she said distrustfully. The clip began purring again.

Anna felt a little pain in her mouth and then twisted her tongue to touch the sore spot she had bitten the night before. "Mmmmm," she said, looking at her own distorted face in the mirror. She leaned forward and stuck her tongue out to have a look. "Geez, no wonder it bled so much," Anna muttered incoherently. Then, remembering the night more clearly, she looked at Sarah.

"You were talking in your sleep last night, you know."

It was as if Anna had suddenly flipped a switch on her roommate's body. The look on Sarah's face instantly changed from a happy smile, still admiring her hair, to one of deep worry and gloom. She slowly set her hairbrush down and walked away without saying a word. Anna watched in surprise as Sarah slowly headed back to her bed to sit. Her hands pressed down on the mattress on either side, trying to find a comfortable way to ask a question. Her eyes were staring out the window across the room.

"What did I say?" Sarah asked, apprehensively.

"I don't remember, really… it was lot of muttering, but you were sitting up in bed, yakking away." Sarah didn't seem to like Anna's answer.

"What exactly did I say, Anna?" Her voice was tense and gruff.

Anna frowned. The shy little girl Anna thought she knew had suddenly turned very stern. What started as a funny comment was definitely scaring Sarah for some reason. Anna set her brush down and walked over to sit on the bed opposite.

"Well, let me see," Anna said, trying to remember. "I think you said something about a member of your family being attacked." Sarah's eyes widened. "Then you said someone from your family is coming to help… or something like that." Sarah looked down fearfully, then up again.

"Anything else?" she said, in an almost mournful tone.

"Oh — yeah. You said, 'You will see the house of the evil one,' or some such thing."

Sarah screwed up her face and tilted her head at Anna. "What does that mean?" she said, with a frown.

"I don't know. You tell me… it was your dream."

Sarah's face fell as she thought for a moment and then looked up again. "Anna, do you have a way to call home?"

"Call home? Why?"

"You should do that right away."

"You're not serious. What? Are you saying you were talking to me last night?"

Sarah turned away, looking rather embarrassed. Her eyes turned to stare up at the ceiling.

"Yes."

"And you think this stuff is true?"

"Yes."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because it's happened before. Many, many times before… at home." Sarah looked up expecting Anna to say she was crazy.

"You're crazy," Anna said, smiling as if someone were playing a trick on her.

"I know. But you should make sure you're brothers and sisters are all right this morning."

Anna frowned. "You're serious, aren't you? You actually believe…?"

"Just do it, Anna. Okay?" Sarah said, folding her arms angrily.

"Sarah…What's going on? What happened when you were at home? Did this happen there too?"

"Yes."

"And did any of it come true?"

"Yes."

Anna grinned disbelievingly. "But coincidences like this happen all the time, Sarah. I once heard about a man who had a dream one time and…"

"They always come true," Sarah interrupted.

"Always?"

"Always."

"But how do you know you were talking about me?"

"Because that's how it works. Whoever I'm closest to when I'm sleeping is the one I'm talking about." Anna leaned back, now folding her arms seemingly unconvinced. Sarah could see Anna was now rethinking everything she knew about her. She had seen this reaction many times before.

"Remember when I told you my family was afraid of me? Well, it wasn't just because I could make things fly around the room. In fact, at first, my Daddy was very happy about my abilities. He had plans for putting me on TV and making a lot of money. He said I was going to be famous and travel all over the world.

"But some people showed up at our house from a place called the Ministry of Magic. They told my Mommy and Daddy that I was a witch. Then they told my Daddy I wouldn't be allowed to show anybody what I could do. Daddy got very angry and tried to throw them out of the house, but they warned him that they would use their power to stop him from putting me in front of the Muggles. The Ministry would see to it that people would believe what they were seeing was a trick, a fraud. Finally, Mommy stepped in and told Daddy she never liked the idea of my being put in front of a bunch of reporters anyway. They had a big fight. And that's when I started talking in my sleep. I told my brother David he would fall and hurt himself. The next day he did, and broke both of his arms. Then I said Mommy would be burned. A few days later, she had to go to the hospital because of an accident on the stove. I kept talking for months. Finally, my parents had to put me in my own room to make it stop."

"Was it always bad stuff you were predicting?"

"No, not always," Sarah said, and then a small smile curled on her lips, like she had just remembered some happier moment in her past. "I told my brother David everything he was getting for Christmas once. He thought that was pretty neat. Mommy and Daddy weren't too happy about it though and they stopped the rest of the kids from trying to sneak into my room before their birthdays."

Anna smiled cautiously. "So does this happen every night?"

"No. It's really slowed down recently. In fact, it hasn't happened for months since…" Sarah stopped short.

"Since what?" Anna could see Sarah hesitating. "What happened, Sarah?"

The girl looked up. "Since the night I scared my Daddy."

"Oh…? What happened?"

"I was up late watching the TV with Daddy, and we both fell asleep on the couch. Apparently, I started speaking in the middle of the night and gave another premonition. I said he was going to die the next day." Anna gasped, and Sarah jerked up. "But it wasn't Daddy who died, it was Gluffy."

"Gluffy?"

"He was our cat. Gluffy was sleeping on Daddy's lap that night. He was hit by a car the next day."

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's terrible." Then Anna thought, "But at least it wasn't your father who was hurt."

"No, but we didn't know that at the time. Daddy was so scared he didn't sleep at all that night, and wouldn't leave the house the next day. He even called a doctor-friend of his to stay with him the whole day at our home. He was afraid he was going to die."

"Oh my God!"

"After we heard about Gluffy, Daddy was so relieved; he agreed to let me come here to Castlewood. I heard him telling Mommy he wanted me out of the house."

"What? Why…but… that's terrible! Sarah, that's really awful. But… I'm sure he was just scared about what happened, right? He doesn't feel that way now."

"That's what Mommy said too, but Daddy wouldn't speak to me very much after that day. Right up to the time I left… he didn't even say goodbye. I miss him so much. And they don't have any telephones here at the castle to call home." She looked up at Anna with tears forming in her eyes. Anna stood up and sat next to her on the bed.

"It's all right, Sarah. After all of this, you have a right to be upset," she said, putting an arm around her. "Listen… you can use Hobbs to send them a letter if you like. I'm sure he could get them a message for you." Sarah looked up and then over to Hobb's cage."

"Do you think he would mind?"

"Not at all. Just write a note, tie it to his leg, and tell him where you want him to go. Make sure to tell your parents to give Hobbs a note back for you."

Sarah smiled enthusiastically. "All right. I'll write one today."

"Excellent. Just tell them you made it here all right, and you're meeting loads of new friends who think you're great," Sarah smiled appreciably at Anna. "And tell them how much you miss them."

Sarah nodded, but then her face turned serious. "Anna… you will check on your family today, won't you? Please tell me you will."

Anna frowned. "Well, I'm still not saying I believe all of this, okay? But, if it'll make you feel better, I'll send Hobbs to check on my brothers and sisters today before we send him off with your letter home." Sarah cautiously smiled.

"Anna, you mentioned I said something about an evil one? Did that make any sense to you?"

Anna hesitated. "Yeah, it did. I didn't think much about it at the time, because… well… I didn't realize you were talking to me last night. But I'll have to admit, after you said it… I thought you might have been referring to something I was told in the Mirror of Enlightenment," and Anna told Sarah about the evil thing the mirror said altered her at birth, something that was supposedly close by in a prison.

"But nobody ever said there was a prison anywhere around Spellsburg. How could you possibly see such a place?" Sarah asked, logically.

"Exactly. You see? It doesn't make sense, does it? Maybe I'll be the one to break your perfect prediction streak, eh?"

"Maybe," Sarah said hesitantly, the first hint of self-doubt finally emerging.

There was a heavy knock on the front door. When Anna opened the door the hallway was empty, but a note was tacked next to her name. Anna opened the note and scoffed.

"What is it, Anna?"

"I've been given detention! Oh, I can't believe it. My first day at school and I've got detention already? I hope Daddy doesn't hear about this. He'll have my skin."

"Detention? But… what happened?"

"It's that Debbie Dunning girl. Listen to this."

_Miss Grayson,_

_It has come to our attention that you were involved in an altercation on the school grounds yesterday with another student. We have confirmed you actually threatened this student in front of several other witnesses. This is certainly a violation of the school rules set forth for the proper behavior of students among their peers (Article 51, Section 3, Paragraph 6 in the Castlewood Academy Charter.) As such, I am duty-bound to deduct 25 points from your Hall. However, being that the Guardian Union has not earned enough points to cover this penalty, you will be placed on detention. You will report to Mr. Kingston at the Castlewood stables immediately following your last class today. Other duties will be assigned to you upon your arrival as part of this reprimand. It is our hope you will avoid any further altercations of this type in the future. If this office receives another report of similar behavior this term, a letter of suspension will be submitted to the Student President's office. A copy of this letter has been sent to your home. _

_Respectfully Yours, Gregory Dunning, Captain of the Crimson Guard, Castlewood Academy._

"Respectfully yours," Anna said, sarcastically, "I doubt that!" She groaned. "Daddy's going to kill me."

"Oh dear. This is very serious, Anna. What did you do?" Anna told Sarah about the fight she had had the day before with Debbie Dunning.

"Well, it hardly seems fair that Debbie's brother is the one giving out the punishment in this case," Sarah said, with a scowl.

"No it's not, but Gwen tried to warn me at the time. I guess I'll have to stay clear of all the Dunnings this year. Hey, you know, this might be a good thing. I wanted to get down to the stables anyway to see the academy's horses. Old Debbie-D just helped me get there a little sooner than expected," Anna said, with a smile. "Don't tell her I said that, of course, or she'll have me cleaning the boy's toilets next time."

Sarah giggled before her face turned serious again. "Anna, if you want to change rooms, I'll understand. It isn't fair for anybody to be in the same room with me during the night. If you think you might be more comfortable sleeping somewhere else…"

"Hold on there. Let's take things slow, all right? Who knows… you might tell me I'm getting a terrible grade on my next test. It might give me an opportunity to do a little more cramming and turn it around. You never know. Let's wait and see what happens, okay?" Sarah smiled.

"Well, we'd better get going. I think we might have just enough time to grab a bite to eat before my first class. Magical Incantations; how about you?"

"We're in the same class. I can't wait to try my new wand," Sarah said, jumping to her feet. They gathered their books and set off.

Forty minutes later they were sitting in a large classroom, thumbing through a copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One_. Anna was laughing because Sarah's hair had already been restyled twice by the little red hair clip. Their teacher was running late, and soon the sound level in the room was reaching a chaotic state. Airplanes made of parchment were now flying about, but they were barely noticed by Anna who was having another conversation with Sarah about skiing in Minnesota. Finally, the classroom door opened and Professor Titan walked in. He glanced up in time to see a balled piece of parchment sailing across the room. Quick as a flash, Titan whipped out his wand and, like a conductor looking for a change of pitch from his orchestra, he flicked his wrist left and up. The ball immediately stopped and reversed direction.

"_Engorgio_!" Titan whispered, and the small wad of parchment grew to the size of a very large beach ball. It flew right back into the arms of the boy who had thrown it, knocking him and the desk he was sitting in sideways to the floor. The class howled with laughter.

"Good morning, class," Titan said, joyfully. He had already put his wand away, ignoring the boy trying to lift the heavy ball off his chest.

"Good morning, Professor Titan," the students replied in unison.

"Welcome to Magical Incantations, Grade One." He quickly took the roll and then looked up to frown. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's see those wands."

The students each pulled out a wand and held it up except for Tommy Johnson, who had to admit in front of the entire class that he had forgotten his wand in his dorm room. Titan tutted loudly, and then handed the boy a large sunflower from a vase in the window to use instead. The boy turned pink in the cheeks as he waved the sunflower about as he would his missing wand.

"Now, then. I like a fast start. So, if you please, wands pointed up… and repeat after me, "_Relashio_!"

"_Relashio_!" they all said together.

The result of this simple word from the class was instant chaos. For a few students, nothing happened at all. For everybody else, however, sparks of different color and size shot up toward the stone ceiling. Professor Titan smiled appreciably at the booming fireworks high above them. Anna's wand shot a jet of bright purple light, which seemed to catch Professor Titan's eye at once. Finally, all was quiet again, except for one boy who was sitting in the center of the class, trying desperately to put out a small fire, which had lit upon his sleeve. As the students laughed, Titan walked over to the boy.

"Can I see that wand, Mr. Shovelton?" He held the boy's wand up to the light along its length and spun it between his fingers. "Quite old, yes?" he said knowledgably.

"Yes, sir. It belonged to my Grandfather," replied the boy as Titan continued his inspection.

"Ah, yes. There you are, see? You have a hairline crack right there. It's causing you some flashback. Common thing, really, but… completely preventable." He raised his own wand and muttered, "_Reparo_!" There was a slight clicking sound, and then he handed the boy's wand back to him.

"There you are Shovelton, good as new. Make sure you pick up a wand maintenance kit at your earliest convenience. A little binding wax will keep the fibers from drying out on you again."

"Thank you, sir," the boy said, appreciably.

Professor Titan looked up at the ceiling and smiled at the few remaining pops of color against the dark, gray stone. "Looks like the Fourth of July, my favorite holiday," he beamed. "Right then, let me see. Where did I see…?" his eyes set on Anna against the wall. "Ah, there you are, Guardian," he said with a smile, walking over to her. "Wand please, Miss Grayson." He gently it took from her hand and then looked down its length toward the light.

"Exquisite!" Anna smiled as he expertly twirled the wand between his fingers. "Outstanding balance. Perfection end-to-end. A little more polish, if you please, right there on the handle," he said, pointing to a slightly dull spot near his hand. "Some index finger push causing a little wear there." He stared at the wand keenly, holding it up between his two index fingers, checking for straightness. "I'll be putting you in the center of my Christmas Array of Lights this year, Miss Grayson." He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "I see your purple sparks surrounded by a circle of red and then blue." He smiled down at her. "Ought to be quite a show this year, eh?" he said keenly, a huge grin moving on his face. Anna smiled as he handed the wand back to her. "Outstanding quality. Take good care of it. Nice to see it again."

Anna's face fell. "What? Have you seen this wand before, sir?" But Professor Titan had already turned away and was heading to the front of the class.

"Right, then. Raise your wands if, when you said the spell, nothing happened." A few students timidly raised their wands into the air, including Sarah. "How's that wand working for you, Mister Johnson?" The boy with the sunflower blushed again as the class sniggered. Professor Titan went about the room inspecting the rest of the wands that didn't work, repairing some, and giving advice to others about the proper way to annunciate the spell.

"Your wand is perfectly fine, Miss Bell," Titan said, handing Sarah back her wand. "Just deliver the incantation with a little more thrust next time, yes? I should think you'd see better results that way." He gave her a gentle smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. The bell in the outside corridor rang, signifying the end of class, and Professor Titan walked back to his desk.

"I'd like you to read chapter one in your text, paying close attention to arm-movement. And for those who had trouble delivering your sparks, give it some practice outside before the next class. That's all, you're dismissed." Then he quickly grabbed his bag and moved to be the first out the door. Anna tried desperately to follow. She was hoping to talk to Titan about her wand, and where he might have seen it before, but by the time she entered the hallway, he was gone.

So, it was on to The History of Magic. As always, many eyes followed Anna as she walked in and found a seat with Sarah against the wall.

"Howdy," said another first-year girl with long black hair sitting in front of her. "Your name's Anna, right?" asked the girl in a southern draw.

"Yes, hi. What's your…?"

"Tanya Joe Wangstaff, from the great state of Texas." The girl shook Anna's hand gregariously. "But you can call me TJ." Tanya Joe Wangstaff was a very pretty girl with very dark black hair in braids and a jovial, almost carefree, manner. "You mind if I ask you a question?"

"No, go ahead," Anna replied, bending over to place her books beneath her, but as she leaned back against the stone wall, she immediately heard a voice.

"_Guardian!_"

Anna quickly took her hand off the wall. She recognized the voices as the same whispers she had heard on her first day, when her hand was somehow buried in the wall outside the castle.

"Well?" said TJ, sitting in front of her.

"Huh? What? I'm sorry, what did you say?" Anna said, staring at the wall next to her.

"I said, what exactly is a Guardian? I mean, what do they do?" Anna could see several other students now looking at her, listening curiously for an answer.

"Um. Well, it's a little hard to explain, and I'm not exactly sure of everything myself yet," Anna said, paying more attention to the wall than to Tanya Joe. She slid her hand under the desk and placed it carefully on the wall again.

"_Greetings, Guardian_," came another voice as if from the other side of the stone. "_We can help you answer the question." _Anna looked around, wondering if anybody else could hear the voices, but nobody seemed to notice the talking stones within the wall.

"That's okay," continued TJ. "I just became a member of the Defender's Union, and I have no idea what that's suppose to mean either."

"_The Guardians protect the rudiments of magic_," said the voices in Anna's head.

"I think the Guardians are called to protect things," Anna said out loud.

"Protect things? What things?" asked TJ.

"_All things magical_," said the voices.

"Well, this castle for example. It is a very magical place. The Guardians would seek to protect it," Anna said, surprising even herself with how logical she sounded.

"Protect it from what?"

Anna could see several students were now standing in the aisles between the desks and listening to their conversation.

"_From those who would seek to claim it as their own, but destroy it in the process_." Anna repeated the message.

"I don't understand, Anna. Who would destroy it?"

"_Those who believe the acquisition of power more important than the magic acting as its foundation_." Anna tried to duplicate the thought word for word.

"Wow, that there's a serious brain-cramp. You mean any evil low-down skunk of a wizard, trying to thieve these things, right?" Anna couldn't help smiling.

"_The seeking and taking of power is not limited to evil. The righteous intentions of Saints can be destructive as well,_" Anna repeated.

Another student, standing one row over from the Laborer's Union spoke, "So what are you saying? Good is just as bad as evil, because they both can be equally destructive to buildings?" Anna listened closely to the voices within the wall, and then smiled. The logic passing to her from the stones seemed so vividly clear to her now.

"Let's say," Anna explained, "that you have a rare and beautiful tree set in a garden. It's a wonderful tree set apart from all the rest, and nobody would ever think to cut it down for any reason. Then, one day, somebody comes along and says they'd like to cut down the tree to fashion a weapon from its branches. What would you say to that?"

"I'd say no. That wouldn't be right," said a boy, leaning against his desk.

Anna listened attentively to the stones. "But what if the weapon was going to be used to stop an evil wizard? Would it still be wrong?" asked Anna.

"Well, I reckon that might be all right then," said TJ, smiling and looking around at the other students.

"Would it TJ? What if this tree were one of a kind, the only one of its kind?"

"Well… I'd be all over that tree like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat. I'd whack it down quick for the chance to rid the world of an evil bad-guy." Anna laughed along with everybody else.

"But what if this evil wizard also needed the same tree to conquer the world? Wouldn't you see to it that this one of a kind tree was destroyed rather than see it fall into his hands? Can you see it's in our nature to destroy the tree rather than lose it?" There was silence while everybody thought about the question.

"Yes," said Sarah, "I would destroy it before giving it up to somebody who intended to use it to hurt others."

Anna turned to speak to Sarah directly. "But what if the tree represented something more than itself. What if the tree we're talking about were… say… your legs?" Would you cut off your legs to keep this evil from taking over?"

"Well, I'd be thinkin' it might not be fair because they were my legs," replied TJ, "but if that's what has to be done to put a varmint like that down, then yeah, sure, I might do it," she said, confidently.

"Then here's the important question, TJ. What if your sacrifice meant all those who came after you, all of humanity, would be forever born without legs because of your decision?" The students stared at Anna, not quite knowing what to say.

"Well that's a little out-with-the-dogs, ain't it?" said TJ, frowning. "I mean we're gettin' a little far-fetched now."

Anna leaned in close. "But if the tree represented all things magical, the beasts and creatures, the wondrous places like Castlewood, the magical objects of legend, then it's not far-fetched at all, TJ. If we cut down the magic that is the tree to destroy a tyrant, we change who we are more surely than if we cut off our own legs. Once the magic is gone, it's gone for everybody, forever. We can't go back, and we'll never be the same again. Everybody you know, all future generations, might be Muggle-born."

TJ looked at Anna and smiled. "So you're saying the Guardians are here to protect the magical places and things from evil folk, as well as the good guys who might be just as destructive for all the right reasons."

"_Eximius__!_"

"_Splendidus!_"

Anna leaned back and smiled. A number of voices from the wall seemed to be very happy with Tanya Joe.

"I think you understand this better than I do, TJ," Anna replied.

224


	21. Eyes of Sapphire Blue

Chapter 21d27 – Eyes of Sapphire Blue

Chapter 21

Eyes of Sapphire Blue

The rest of Anna's History of Magic class was fairly dull. Their teacher, Madam Bolcher, told them they would be required to find study partners for an end of term project on the legal differences between 'beasts' and 'beings' and why it was that Centaurs insisted on being called a 'beast' when, "As we all know, the Ministry Convention of 1811 tried to grant them 'being' status."

Anna broke the boredom by answering very difficult questions given to them by continually touching the wall next to her, and listening to the magical voices within the stones for the answers. Anna's knack for always getting the right response, lead TJ to announce, "I've found my study buddy!"

Anna's final class of the day was The Study of the Dark Arts, which was held in a remote section of the castle well suited to their lessons. As Anna and the rest of her class made their way to the furthest north castle tower, it seemed to them the whole structure was specifically built for teaching the Dark Arts. There were quite a few rather hideous ghosts in this section of the castle; their pearl white, translucent bodies hovered aimlessly through the walls and corridors around them. They could hear several far-off moans and the occasional scream throughout the tower, which the older students seemed to ignore as they made their way to class.

Due to her late start on day-one, Anna was unable to make her scheduled morning appointment to meet their Dark Arts teacher, so the entire trip to the north tower was a first time experience for her. The fire-laden torches on the walls seemed to enjoy separating themselves from their holders to follow the students through the corridors, leaving the hallways behind them dark and alarmingly fearsome. After a number of mistaken turns, and one very embarrassing entry into the wrong class, Anna finally found her room and sat. Once again Sarah shared the same class with her, and Anna's roommate seemed particularly interested in staying very close to her while they waited for the teacher's arrival.

"Oh, I met her on day-one," Sarah said, clutching her book close to her chest. "I heard some of the older students say she used to be an Auror, some kind of evil wizard hunter. I think she's very scary."

A few moments later, a squeaking door in the back opening slowly by itself announced the arrival of their Dark Art's teacher. From out of the shadows beyond came… a woman. Or, at least, that's what Anna was given to surmise. It was rather hard to tell, seeing she was dressed all in black and an open cloak that covered most of her body. Anna could see she was wearing a snug-fitting, black dress that wrapped itself tightly about her ankles more than it did her waist. The hem of the dress seemed to crawl strangely around her feet in all directions like some misshapen spider, completely hiding her shoes. But the strangest thing about the women was the black veil she wore, which covered her head entirely down to her shoulders, giving the impression of someone in deep mourning.

She slowly glided between the desks to the front of the class without saying a word, and several students cringed involuntarily in their seats as she passed. It was like watching a one-woman funeral precession, and it didn't help that several howling dogs, crying coincidently in the distance, joined her ominous entry. When she reached the front, the veiled figure slowly turned to face the class and then spoke in a grumbled, painfully injured voice mixed with an eastern inflection.

"Rock-climbing," she said forcefully, the breath from her words scarcely moving the thin, black veil covering her face. The class sat stunned, glancing carefully around the room at each other with puzzled faces. Finally, a plucky young boy in the front row broke the silence.

"Beg… your pardon, Professor?"

"Have any of you been rock-climbing?" Once again, there was complete silence. "In my youth, I was an avid climber. In fact, I traveled all over the world, to the most dangerous places one could find, seeking the thrills of my sport."

Anna immediately thought this explained everything, why this teacher was covered from head to toe in shawls of black cloth. She must have taken a fall off a cliff somewhere. And, judging by the tormented way she was speaking, she must have hit her head far too many times on the way down.

"There are two basic rules you must follow when climbing with your comrades. The first is this: If anything were to fall from your hand, be it a stone, a piece of equipment, your helmet, or the sandwich from your lunch… you should always yell — ROCK!" the class jumped in their seats. "This will warn those in danger below you, and keep them from getting their heads bashed in." She paused to take in another rattled breath.

"The second rule is to never let your knees touch the wall."

Once again, the students looked at each other in utter bewilderment. What in the world did this lesson have to do with the Dark Arts?

"Call it pride, tradition, ego or nobility, the fact is if you want respect among your climbing peers, you must stay off your knees while you work. Using one's knees while ascending is tantamount to admitting the task is too difficult, that you've given up doing things the correct and proper way." She stopped again, and looked around at the confused faces staring up at her.

"My name is Professor Grushilda Van Doorn, and you will find my methods for studying the Dark Arts quite different than what you may find at other schools in the Wizarding World. Some of these schools concentrate wholly on the use of what we commonly call Dark Magic. Some only teach defense against these dark arts. Here… we will do both. We will start with dark curses and their counter spells; then… we will move on to poisons and antidotes. We will study dangerous creatures used by dark wizards, and then to the psychology of good versus evil.

"Some will tell you the study of the Dark Arts should never be allowed as a subject of discussion. I say they're wrong. These enchantments, spells, and curses can be quite useful at the appropriate time. For just as climbers will work to stay off their knees, in the heat of a deadly moment, they will quite naturally use every trick God has given them to save themselves from being killed. This is not a bad thing, but quite natural and, in fact, sometimes necessary to save yourself and those closest to you. You should use all of the tools given to you, including your wits, experience, and yes… even your knees if that's what's necessary to save yourself. Just be sure to yell 'rock' to warn the innocent around you, and understand, when the danger has passed, you must return to what is socially proper. You must get off your knees as soon as you possibly can."

She turned to move back around to the space between her desk and the chalkboard. "You should know… I do not have a problem using the darker elements of magic for the purposes of defending myself or to save an innocent life — especially if that life is my own. Some would disagree. In their mind, it is better to die a noble death, not using dark magic, than it is to save one's life utilizing this knowledge. But as our Chancellor said last night… truth, and I would also say knowledge, are things we should never fear. In the end, however, the choice is yours to make. I will give you both the tools and the knowledge, and then _you_ must decide between nobility… and death."

And so they began. By the end of the class, Anna and the rest of the students were moving between two books, _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Grade One_, by Quentin Trimble. and _Dark Spells through the Ages_, by Brewella Cursomal. While one book focused on a very complex array of curses one could use on another, the other taught the students how to defend themselves against wizards intent upon using them. Professor Van Doorn made no moral distinction between the two books, moving easily from one to the other with her passions focused on their self-preservation. Finally, the bell rang and the class made their way down from north tower among the continuing far-off moans around them.

"Wow, I've never — ever had a class that remotely strange in my life," Anna told Sarah as they entered the main castle. "Professor Van Doorn has got to be the creepiest thing walking on two legs."

"I'm not sure she's got legs under all that stuff she wears," Sarah replied fearlessly and well away from the north tower.

Anna spent the rest of the fading afternoon sharing an early dinner with Gwen, and Anna told her about the notice of detention she had received that morning from Captain Dunning.

"I tried to warn you about Debbie Dunning, didn't I? Now, on top of getting detention, you're going to have to put up with that hound dog following you all over the school."

Anna also told Gwen about Sarah's premonitions the night before. Gwen stared opened mouthed as she told her about the evil one, and how Sarah's statements compared to the things Anna had heard while inside the Mirror of Enlightenment. When she told her about Sarah's father, Anna could tell Gwen was fit to burst with excitement.

"Wow, can you imagine telling somebody they were going to die? It's a wonder the shock alone didn't kill the poor man. So… did you check on your family? Everybody's okay, right?"

"As far as I know, they are. Sarah made me send Hobbs around to make sure everybody was all right here at the castle, and then I sent another owl home during the break. I got a sarcastic message back from Damon, telling me I should be paying more attention to my studies than bothering him with questions about how he slept."

"But you don't really believe this stuff, do you?"

Anna looked skeptical. "Nah; I don't go in for all that gypsy fortune-telling stuff. It just never made any sense to me. Everything they say can usually be interpreted to mean just about anything. I'm sure Sarah believes what she's saying, but it's just too far out there for me to accept."

"Yeah, but all that stuff about the evil one. That's really creepy. It must have sent a chill up your spine when you heard that, eh?" Gwen said, chuckling as she took another sip of her soup. She thought for a moment, and then, "You know… it's possible Sarah might be a Seer."

"A Seer? What's that?"

"Somebody who can see the future and make prophecies. They do exist out there in the wizarding world; I've heard of them before now."

Anna stared at her friend in surprise. "You're serious? People… who can tell the future?"

"Sure. In fact, before Professor Thordarson became Chancellor, they used to teach a class called Divination here at the school, which supposedly allowed students to study the craft. There was a famous Seer named Cassandra Trelawney back about a hundred years ago; we studied her in History of Magic last year. She was said to be a really accurate prophetess. In fact, she has a relative teaching Divination now at Hogwarts. My dad told me about her once."

"You're joking?"

"No… really." Gwen said, leaning back. "You never know; maybe Sarah has the gift."

They finished their dinner and, at five o'clock, made their way down to the entrance hall, across the inner courtyard, and over the drawbridge into Spellsburg. The walk gave Anna another opportunity to take in the sights around the city before starting her detention. She could see several older students sitting at tiny circular tables outside Madam Aroma's coffee shop, enjoying the remaining evening in friendly conversation. They all nodded at Anna and Gwen as they passed by on the street.

The girls wound their way down the streets of Spellsburg to the city gates, which lead them through the Union walls and onto the open plateau outside. They traveled across the beautifully manicured lawns between the city gates and the colossal Vollucross stadium, which stood looming high above them and where Gwen said the stables would be found. As they walked along, they talked about the day's classes and the various teachers Anna had met. They were joking about the funny way Professor Van Doorn dressed when Anna suddenly realized something was very wrong. With each passing and frightening second, the feeling of rising tension seemed to reveal itself swiftly into one single word.

"Duck!" Anna yelled, and she grabbed Gwen by the sleeve of her robe to yank her down.

There was a heavy rush of wind over their heads as something fast and very big flew over them. Anna looked up and her mouth dropped at what she saw.

"Flying horses!"

Sure enough, two large chestnut beasts, the size of elephants, rose high into the air on massive out-stretched wings. Anna got to her feet and stumbled forward as the riders banked into a sharp turn, one chasing the other, back in her direction. Another rush of wind hit her full in the chest, blowing her robes behind her as they passed on either side.

"Amazing!" Anna yelled, as she spun around to watch them fly off toward the edge of the plateau.

"What did you expect?" Gwen said, straightening her disheveled robes and brushing off the grass.

"What? Did you know about them?"

"Of course I knew. I… wait a minute. What did you think you were going to see out here, regular horses?" Gwen started to laugh.

"Of course I thought they would be horses! Doctor Pearl didn't say anything about these creatures. Is that what they race in the stadium?"

"That's what Vollucross is, silly. Oh — this is funny," Gwen said, stepping in next to Anna. They stared into the distance together, watching the horses slowly flapping out of site. Gwen folded her arms and frowned. "You know… now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen a regular horse on this mountain."

"Really? You mean they all fly?" Anna said, taken aback.

"Well, all the ones with wings," Gwen said teasingly, and then she began to giggle.

"So you're saying they all have wings?" Anna was so thrilled she started running toward the stadium without waiting for the answer.

"Of course they all have wings, hard to fly without 'em." Gwen yelled back, but her friend's voice was fading quickly behind her as Anna headed for the steel gates at the stadium entrance.

"Anna, wait! They're not going anywhere. Wait for me!"

Anna's heart was pounding with excitement as she entered the stadium and quickly found her way into its center arena. When she stepped into the light again, Anna looked up and gasped. There were thousands and thousands of empty seats, encircled around an open field in its middle. The sides of the structure seemed to climb straight up, creating enormous slopes of marble high in the air. A strong wind was blowing into the stadium through a huge gap at the end of the wall, which stood open to the Shadowed Forest beyond. In the distance, Anna could see another horse coming into view. The creature was gray, and looked even bigger than the others she had seen on the plateau. It shot over her head with a whoosh, its wings stretching into a slow turn. She could see the rider leaning hard to his right struggling to keep his balance.

"Hold up, you!" Gwen said, finally catching up to her. She fell against Anna's shoulder holding the painful stitch in her side and wincing up at the flying horse now gliding in for a landing.

"He needs to shift his weight the other way on that turn," Anna said, pointing at the rider.

"Oh? I didn't realize you were such an expert on flying beasts," Gwen said, panting and grimacing to stand straight.

"I'm not, but he'd fall off any horse riding like that."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the horse landed hard with a thump, its large rear hooves sliding through the grass and cutting deep groves into the turf. The creature's powerful wings were beating furiously as he rocked forward to bring his front feet down and, when it did, Anna could see the boy losing his balance.

"Watch out!" Anna yelled, but it was too late. In a flash, the boy was tossed forward, over the reins, and into the air. He landed flat on his back in the mud and wet grass with a deadening _thump_.

"Ooofff!" he huffed loudly as he bounced onto the soft ground.

Gwen ran over to the rider, as Anna stood transfixed, staring at the beautiful gray horse in golden shoes. The winged creature snorted angrily at the boy lying in the mud before him, and then shook his huge head as if glad to be rid of him. Anna's first impulse was to jump into the now empty saddle and kick off into the air herself, but a loud voice snapped her attention back again.

"What in the world do you think you were doing, Mr. Durkin?" yelled the voice from across the stadium. It was Doctor Pearl. She was running over with a look of angry scorn carved in her face, a silver whistle and a pair of binoculars bouncing off her chest from her neck.

Gwen was helping the boy back to his feet.

"Thanks," he said, using her arm to steady himself. He saw Pearl running toward him and whispered, "Oh-Lordy… she's going to have a few words to say." He tried to straighten. "Not to worry, Doctor. I'm okay." But Pearl wasn't interested in the boy at all. She grabbed the reins of the winged horse, and then squatted down to look at one of his legs. She then whipped around to face the boy.

"I was not concerned with you, Mr. Durkin, but with my horse. This Granian gray has a bad rear leg. I told you that before you set off. A landing like that could very well have caused him permanent damage. And why wasn't your harness clipped in?" She turned to look at the horse once again.

"There — there, now, Tornado. It's all right, boy. It's all my fault for allowing an uncaring knucklehead in your saddle; forgive me. He didn't hurt you did he?" she said, patting the horse's shoulder. The horse began licking the doctor's face.

"No need to make a fuss about me, Doctor. I think I'm fine too." the boy said, wincing with an undertone of sarcasm. Gwen giggled as the boy winked at her, and then twisted around at the waist to check his back for damage. He was a tall boy with dark, wavy hair and an olive complexion, and, judging by the way Gwen seemed to be fawning over him, he seemed to be just her type… handsome and male.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Durkin," Pearl said, waving him off unsympathetically. "How many times must I tell you? You have to shift your weight opposite during that turn."

Anna smiled, and then glanced over to Gwen who rolled her eyes.

"That's just what Anna said during his approach," Gwen reported, in obvious payback for Anna's correctness.

"Did she, now?" said Pearl, smiling over at Anna. "Then perhaps the day is not a complete loss; I might find a real rider tonight after all," she said, scowling at Durkin again.

"I'm glad you decided to join us so quickly, Miss Grayson."

"Well, actually, I was told to report to Mr. Kingston for, ah… detention," Anna admitted shyly. "I'm supposed to find him for some… uh… extra duties."

Doctor Pearl's face fell. "Detention? Already? Well, that's not an agreeable way to start the school year, young lady."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm afraid my father will probably agree with you."

Pearl frowned, remembering the stern nature of Mister Grayson back at the estate.

"Yes, you're probably right. I don't envy your position when he finds out about this. Well — off you go, then. Mr. Kingston can be found in the stables under those steps." She pointed behind her. "Come back and see me when you've finished. If it isn't too dark, we'll see about getting you a mount."

Anna's face lit up like a child at Christmas.

"Yes Ma'am!" she said, a bit louder than intended.

"I'll wait for you here," Gwen said, her eyes darting animatedly toward the Durkin boy next to her.

Anna leered at her friend understandingly.

"Behave yourself," she said sternly, and then laughed at the angelic smile Gwen forced upon her face as Anna turned and dashed off in the direction given.

She entered a large group of buildings tucked under the stadium steps on the opposite end of the field. There, she found a tall, thin man in dirty overalls, cleaning the shoes on a beautiful horse in a red velveteen blanket. Anna noticed the shape of the creature's head was somewhat different than what she expected. His face was broad, with short clumps of hair growing down his forehead, and a series of raised spurs starting from his ears and running down his jaw-line. He also had dazzling opal eyes set deep within lifted sockets.

"Hello," Anna said, smiling brightly and staring at the horse.

"Why — hello there, missy. What can I do you for?" replied the man, lowering the horse's foot and wiping his hands on his soiled pants.

"Are you Mr. Kingston? Hi, my name is Anna Grayson," she said, shaking the man's dirty hand uncaringly.

"Grayson, you say? Any relation to the Graysons of California?"

Anna nodded. "Yep, that's us," she replied proudly.

"Well… I'll be. Excellent! Good to see another Grayson in the stables. I know your brother, Eric. Best rider in the school, in my opinion." Anna grinned as Mr. Kingston walked around his horse and glanced over at Anna from the other side.

"So, what do you think of my friend here?" he said, flashing a testing gaze Anna's way.

Anna smiled, taking the question as permission to have a closer look at the magnificent animal.

"Could do with a good brushing, I suppose," she said, glancing down at the horse's feet. "And his stifle looks a little swollen to me; he keeps shifting his weight off the hock."

Anna continued to inspect the horse, while Kingston tried to hide a surprised grin behind her.

"Care to talk me through a cleaning," he said, handing Anna a pick. Anna stared at the tool for a moment and then smiled eagerly. She took the pick from his hand as she contemplated on which foot to start.

"Okay. Well, if you're right-handed, like me," she carefully raised one of the horse's huge feet to her knee, "it's best to transfer the foot from your right hand to your left so your right is free to use the hoof pick, which should be fairly blunt," she said, running a thumb over the tool's edge. "It doesn't need to be sharp to do its job, and you don't want to risk an accidental injury. Insert the point into the cleft and run it down one side of the frog, then the other, heel to toe, to remove any caked mud and dirt." Anna worked expertly as she spoke while Kingston looked on. "Then, GENTLY, clean out the cleft in the center of the frog."

"Gently? Why?" asked the stable master, testingly.

"Well, a horse with chronic thrush could be a little tender or sore there. Never hurts to be safe," Anna said, not looking up. Kingston smiled again while Anna continued working. "Arc your pick around the shoe's inside rim to clean out anything left clinging there. Then put the foot down, and transfer the pick from the right hand to your left. I always let my horse know when I'm moving to the back legs; don't like to surprise him while I'm back there."

Mr. Kingston reached in to take the tool from Anna's hand.

"Okay, you know your way around a horse. I'm convinced." Anna grinned, before reluctantly surrendered the pick. "So, besides admiring my Aethonan flyer here," Kingston said, patting the horse on the rump, "What brings you in to see us? Tryouts for the Union teams don't start until next month."

"No, actually, I'm here for detention," Anna said, somewhat embarrassed.

Mr. Kingston smiled and then shook his head. "Had a run-in with old Debbie Dunning, did you?"

Anna was surprised. "Yes, she was involved. But how did you know that?"

"Sending students into the stables to clean out these stalls is one of her favorite punishments. Guess she relishes the thought of her victims cleaning out the filth down here. Doesn't say much for us common folk who do it everyday for a living, now does it?"

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with it. I do it all the time at home. Frankly, I'd rather be in here cleaning these stables than sitting in some of the boring classes I have up at the castle," Anna said, thinking about her History of Magic class and looking down at the horse's swollen leg again.

Mr. Kingston grinned. "Well… I'd better give you some chores to do, just to keep things honest. Why don't you head down to the other end of the barn to the stables there on the left. Pick yourself out a half dozen stalls, clean them out, and then come find me when you're done. I'll sign your detention slip and send you on your way. That sound fair enough?"

"Yes, sir," Anna replied, and she grabbed an extra apron off a rail and headed off.

After a few winding turns she found the stalls, which contained some of the most wondrous creatures Anna had ever seen in her life. There were white, gray, and chestnut horses with enormous wings neatly folded to the sides and along their backs. The beasts were enormous, and she completely lost track of the time as she went about, looking in every space to inspect the marvelous creatures within.

She reached a dark corner of the stable and looked in a stall set apart from all the rest. At first, Anna didn't see anything but an empty space, but as she turned to walk away her feet seemed to come to stop by themselves. She slowly leaned back to look into the stall again, her eyes straining to see within its dark gloom.

_Hmmmmm, there is something in there_, she thought to herself curiously; she could feel it more than see it. Anna frowned and then closed her eyes to focus her mind, probing again through the musty shadows. She could hear the faint heartbeat of a massive creature in the back of the stall yet unseen. Anna opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hello. I may not be able to see you, but I know you're in there. Why can't I see you?"

There was no movement; nothing to suggest something might be there. Anna looked down at the bolt securing the gate below her, and then quickly looked around to make sure nobody would protest. She slid the latch over and opened the squeaking door to step inside. There was a loud snort from the dark corner of the stall and Anna froze.

"So… there you are," she said, straining to see through the darkened haze. She could see every inch of the space within the stall, but the animal inside was totally invisible to her. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I'd like to see you, if I can," she said, stepping into the middle of the space. She heard another loud snort in the back corner and then noticed large dents in the straw moving from the weight of something heavy pushing into it. Anna moved closer and immediately heard an annoyed grunt in the corner once more. She stopped.

"Where are you? How come can't I see you?" Anna's eyes raced about the stall, looking for anything that might tell her what was moving near the back wall. She watched carefully as a buzzing fly circling through the air finally stopped to land in midair on… absolutely nothing. There was a sound of rustling feathers and the fly started buzzing about the stall once again.

Trying to think of something that might sooth the beast, Anna slowly sat down on the damp straw, wondering what she might do to get the creature to appear to her. This was amazing. She was almost certain it was another horse, something invisible, but how could she get it to show itself? She sat quietly for a while before looking at the floor around her.

"When was the last time somebody cleaned your stall?" she said, frowning. There was no reply. "Well I should be able to fix that for you." She stood and opened the gate again. She found a pair of gloves and a pitchfork hanging on a hook, grabbed a fresh bail of straw and a large roller-bin next to it. She slid them across the floor and went back inside. Anna began cleaning the stall, purposely avoiding the far corner where she knew the invisible resident stood watching her. After cleaning the floor and spreading fresh straw, Anna turned to face the empty corner once more.

"Well… there you go. I hope one day you'll let me see you," Anna said, in a somewhat pleading voice. She turned to leave, but another loud snort from behind made her stop.

Anna looked back, and saw the empty footsteps moving forward toward her, and she watched hopefully for something to walk out of the shadows. The steps stopped in front of her, and now she could hear the beast breathing somewhere above her head. She reached up into the blankness to touch a face on an enormous head. She stroked him gently and then began to brush his powerful neck and shoulders. This was, by far, the biggest horse Anna had ever seen or, in this case, not seen in her life. She placed her hand on the side of his cheek and concentrated on the creature's nervousness, trying hard to find a way to ease his tension. She could feel a powerful sense of loss, loneliness, and the impression of being completely out of place.

Closing her eyes, she began to see a vision of a large, black horse, standing in front of a paned window gazing outward. The window was foggy and somehow blurred, even with the bright light pouring in from the other side. Anna walked up to the horse in her mind, which didn't acknowledge her presence as he stood staring out and into the milky haze of the glass. Anna peeked out, trying to understand what the horse was trying to see. She stepped up and used the sleeve of her robe to wipe away the fog from his view, and there, standing on the other side, was another horse trying to look in. Immediately, the black horse behind her seemed to come alive upon seeing the other through the window. It was as if they knew each other.

The vision ended and Anna slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the still invisible horse above her.

"I'll bet you're very beautiful," she said quietly.

And then, it happened. The room in front of her started to ripple and distort. It shimmered, as if giving off a tremendous amount of heat. Anna stepped back as the light started to bend in different directions around a huge object now coming into view. And then, suddenly, from out of the darkness, two very large, blue eyes the size of apples appeared and moved forward. A second later, a massive black horse appeared behind the eyes from out of nothingness.

"Oh — my God." Anna gulped. "It's… you! The flying stallion from my dreams!" Anna reached forward without thinking, and threw her arms around the horse's neck. "I can't believe you're real," she said, looking into his huge face. Anna could almost see the shimmering waters of her far-away home deep within his sapphire blue eyes.

"What in blue-blazes are you doing, there?" yelled a man's voice behind her. Both Anna and the horse looked up. Mr. Kingston was standing there in a dirty apron with a look of disbelief etched on his face.

"I was… ah… his stall was very dirty. I just finished cleaning it out for him."

"Well, I'll be…" the man said, staring at the black horse. "Swooper!"

He dropped the bucket he was carrying, splashing the soapy water within all over his pants and soiled boots. He quickly fumbled at the gate's bolt, pulled it open, and then ran over to the horse to grab both sides of his head.

"Swooper! I can't believe it! It's wonderful to see you again! Oh Swooper!" He hugged the horse, and the creature shook his head and ruffled his huge wings like a bird just landing after a very long journey. Kingston looked over at Anna.

"I thought we'd lost him forever. What did you do?"

Anna wasn't sure what to say; was she in trouble again?

"I didn't do anything, really. I could tell he was in here. He seemed a little shy to show himself, so I… just kind of coaxed him out of his shell."

"A shell he's been living in going on two years now."

"What?"

"That's right. Coaxed him out, did you say? Huh! You must have done more than that. He's been invisible to all of us for more than a year."

"Really? That long? But…why? What happened to him?"

"He lost his mate a while back. She was killed during a race two years ago. Accidentally ran into a tree in the Shadowed Forest. Since then, he's never been the same. And after a while, he just faded away into invisibility. He's a Thorse, part Threstral and horse. Powerfully magical creatures, these Threstrals, but very rare and highly sensitive to diffused light. Most of the winged horses have limitations that keep them from being good Vollucross fliers, so Doctor Pearl and I breed them, you see." He looked back at the horse again. "And Swooper here was one of the best. He has the power of invisibility, which makes them a force to be reckoned with in the skies over the Shadowed Forest. But nobody has been able to ride Swooper since the day of the accident. Oh Swooper… it's so good to see you again, boy. Bloody good to see you," the stable master repeated, hugging the horse again.

He turned to Anna. "I can't thank you enough, Miss Anna," Kingston said through red, swollen eyes, before reaching out to squash her in a very rough hug.

Anna smiled. "I really didn't do anything… honestly."

Kingston wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed. "Rubbish, there's no doubt I owe you big for what you've done for our Swooper, here. Tell you what," he said excitedly, "since you've already cleaned out this stall, why don't you put away your tools, get yourself cleaned up, and we'll call it even."

Anna smiled again. "Now that's a deal," she said, picking up her fork and gloves.

"Come out to the stadium when you're done, and we'll see if we can find a rider to get Swooper into the air before it gets dark."

"Yes, sir!" Anna yelped excitedly, as she turned to set off.

"Come on Swooper. Just wait until Pearl sees you! You're going to send her to tears," he said, blowing his wet nose into a very dirty handkerchief as he carefully walked the horse outside.

Ten minutes later, Anna was racing onto the stadium grounds. There, in the middle of the grass, stood the black horse along with Kingston, Doctor Pearl, Gwen, Durkin, and several other students. Anna couldn't help noticing how much bigger the horse looked outside in the evening glow of the falling sun. His huge black-feathered wings gave off an array of beautiful iridescent colors; they were shimmering with blue, purple and green as he flapped over his shoulders, eager to fly. He hardly seemed like the same horse that, just a while ago, stood quiet in his stall, miserable and lost.

"Ah — and here is our hero of the day," Doctor Pearl said, seeing Anna running toward them. Anna could see Pearl had been crying, but was almost giddy with happiness.

"Miss Grayson, I don't know how we can possibly thank you for what you did for poor Swooper," she said, hugging the horse again. But the horse's impatience was obvious as he flapped his wings madly, wanting to go up. "Calm yourself boy; we'll get you in the air soon enough."

The doctor narrowed a stare at Anna as if struggling with a difficult decision. "I'd like a word with you, Grayson, if you please," she said, putting her arm around Anna's shoulder and directing her away from the others.

"Anna… this is a critical moment for Swooper. He's just awakened from a sleep of deep despair. It's very unusual to get a second chance with a Thorse after they've been gone this long. His awakening must be reinforced now!" Pearl said animatedly, her fists clinched.

"He needs an experienced rider, somebody who knows how to handle a creature with this much power. But I'm afraid by the time I get somebody out here, it'll be too dark and we'll miss our chance. He's got to fly tonight to reinforce this positive turn. Normally, I would never ask a first-year to do this, but you've made a connection with this creature. That cannot be denied. I would take Swooper up myself, but he never took to me being in his saddle."

Anna held her breath not daring to assume what she was about to hear.

"I'd like you to consider taking him up."

Anna's mouth dropped as she looked at the massive horse jumping and kicking wildly behind them.

"Yes… please!" Anna whispered back. "Oh — my God — yes," she said, eagerly grabbing Pearl's arm.

"Good. I appreciate your spunk, but courage is needed here as well, Anna. This is an enormously powerful animal. What I'm asking of you is way out of line, and risky, because I can't guarantee he'll adhere to his training once he's in the air again. He's been down for so long," her voice trailed off, and a look of deep concern appeared on her face.

"Doctor, I know you won't believe this," Anna said, looking back at the horse again, "but I've dreamed my whole life about this moment. You'll have to trust me when I say we've taken this ride a thousand times before today."

Pearl considered her and then smiled. "I'll escort you to the locker room and get you fitted with the proper riding clothes." She turned suddenly. "Mr. Kingston, would you get a saddle on Swooper for us?

"Come along, dear," she said, rushing Anna forward by the elbow, "we're losing the light. While a Threstral's sense of direction is legendary, Swooper is nearly blind at night and easily lost. We've got to hurry."

Anna followed Pearl inside the building and then emerged minutes later wearing leather pants, boots, a long-sleeve, coarse-haired shirt, and carrying a bright yellow harness. Swooper was saddled and more than eager to go. The horse was floating a few feet off the ground, flapping his wings and kicking wildly around him. Kingston was trying his best to anchor him by the reins.

"Whoa — boy," yelled Kingston. "He's very excited, Doctor! Are you sure this is a good idea? Perhaps we should wait for Eric. It has been two years since Swooper's been up."

"Yes — yes, that would be sensible, but it'll be dark by the time we can get him out here. We need to get Swooper up now with what light we have left or we might lose him again to his despair. If Anna is half the rider her brother is, then we'll have all we need for the moment."

Kingston seemed unconvinced. "He seems a creature possessed, Pearl. I'd be concerned for any student…"

"Anna is the one who made contact and brought on this awakening. If she takes him up, I know it will bolster him further."

Kingston reluctantly nodded, before being temporarily yanked off his feet. The Durkin boy rushed in to help with the reins.

"Now Anna, listen to me very carefully," Pearl said eagerly. "You'll be hooked into the saddle with the harness, so there won't be any chance of you falling off. We want to start off slow and low; under twenty feet. Do you understand? He's trained to stay low until he hears my whistle. If I see your riding abilities are up to the task, I'll sound the whistle again, and allow you to climb to one hundred feet. But keep him inside the stadium. Then, if I'm confident you're working well together, I will blow the whistle a final time, raising your ceiling to five hundred feet. Then you can take him out onto the plateau. All right? Do you understand?" Anna nodded vigorously as she pulled the harness over her shoulders and worked the many buckles in the front. Pearl quickly inspected her work.

"All right then, saddle up!"

Kingston pulled down on the reins, and Durkin gave Anna a leg up. She clipped her harness into the metal loop on the front of the saddle, and then took hold of the reins.

Pearl smiled up at her. "She looks like a pro already. Anna — another thing; by Spellsburg law, you are not allowed to go above five hundred feet. Do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am," Anna replied anxiously. "Five hundred feet."

"I mean it. No higher! Five hundred feet is the limit everywhere on this plateau. Also, you should stay away from any other flyers you might see around you. These aggressive males don't like to share their air space with any other, and the Swooper I knew two years ago made many enemies who may be out tonight. Stay clear of any other horses you might see?"

"Yes Ma'am. I'll stay clear."

"What is your ceiling?"

"Five hundred feet!"

"Excellent! All right, you're ready to go. Listen for my whistle. Mr. Kingston — she's all yours!"

The stable master moved in and grabbed the clip on the reins under the horse's chin. "Have a good flight, boy," he said, looking up at the horse. "Show them what you've got!"

"Be careful, Anna!" Gwen said worriedly, holding onto the Durkin boy's arm.

"Mr. Kingston! The light — we're loosing the light. Quickly now, let him go!"

"Okay —Anna; just say _up_, _down_, _left_ and _right_, and Swooper will do the rest. Good luck."

Anna pulled the reins tight and nodded.

"Mr. Kingston!" yelled Pearl.

He unclipped the harness and waved his hands up in the air. "Up! Swooper… up!" The horse reared high on his hind legs, and Anna leaned forward to center her balance.

"Up! Swooper… up!" she repeated.

The horse started flapping his massive wings, blowing down on those watching as he began to rise.

"Up… up… up!"

His shimmering black wings beat furiously as they rose higher and higher into the air. There was a sharp shriek from a whistle, and Swooper pitched down, tucked his wings, and dove. They dropped like a stone before he unfurled his wings and took off like a gunshot across the lawn. Without thinking, Anna moved her feet high in the saddle so they wouldn't impede the horse's wing-beats. She found iron posts behind her, like foot pegs, and used them to push herself forward again. They rose steadily higher until Anna knew they were at the twenty-foot ceiling.

"Left, Swooper!" She instinctually pulled the reins sharply to the left to enforce what she wanted him to do.

"Don't yank the reins, Anna," called Pearl from the ground. "Make the turn with your command and then add a slight bit of tension. That's all it takes."

"Left!" Anna repeated, and gave a light tug with the left hand. The horse dipped his left wing and dropped suddenly. Anna yelped as she felt her seat lift out of the saddle, and immediately hooked her heels behind the iron posts to set herself once again. Sensing Anna's inexperience, the horse seemed to catch Anna beneath him as he finished the turn and began climbing once more. The sudden burst of speed was incredible. They shot across the stadium, and as they passed, Anna could see Kingston shaking his fist in triumph as Pearl reached out to hug the stable master joyously. They were jumping up and down and whooping with excitement.

Anna and Swooper rose again. "Right," she said expectedly, and then lifted herself off the saddle in preparation for his turn. He banked hard right. "Down," Anna said, letting the reins slide through in her hands. The mighty horse finished the turn and then dove. They dropped twenty feet in a second and the horse hit the ground with two galloping strides before leaping up to take off again. Within seconds, they were at the ceiling once more.

Anna heard the whistle sound below her, and she looked back to see Pearl waving her away, giving permission to go to one hundred feet.

"Up, Swooper, up!"

The horse flapped hard, his feet kicking back as they gained more altitude. Straight up they climbed, and in all of Anna's dreams, nothing had prepared her for this experience. She was flying, soaring through the cool evening air streaming through her hair, the wind whipping around her body like a storm. Swooper finally leveled off and now Anna could see high over the walls of the stadium and to Castlewood beyond.

Anna couldn't contain herself any longer, and he squealed in jubilation as they jived left and right, and then dropped suddenly into a dive.

"Yaaaahoooooooooo!"

Anna leaned forward along his black back as she had done so many times in her dreams to reduce the resistance as they fell. She looked back and could see his blue-black wings folded into a perfect delta, his every muscle in total control.

"Up… up!" she called, as they completed a flawless sweeping arc just a few feet above the ground.

"She's really quite good," Durkin said longingly, staring at Anna above them. "I've been riding for nearly two years and I've never been allowed to go to one hundred feet."

Gwen looked hesitantly at the boy. "Well… you'd be good to if you spent most of the day in a stable at home," she replied, with a patronizing grin.

Once again, the whistle sounded, and the ceiling was raised to five hundred feet.

"Up," Anna commanded, and the horse was eager to obey. Higher and higher they soared, and Anna watched as they cleared the Union towers and sailed over the city of Spellsburg. Its citizens looked small in the distance beneath them, like ants moving around the hill that was Castlewood.

Once again, the two banked as one into a steep dive, and Anna never felt so alive in her entire life. The ground was rushing toward them at a familiar speed, and she leaned over to look at her mount from the side.

"Are you testing my courage?" Anna said, smiling. She heard the horse snort into the wind before pulling up out of the dive to rise again.

"Amazing!" said Kingston, watching Anna through her turns. "I believe she could give her brother a run for his money, doctor. What do you think?"

"Yes… I would agree. She's a natural. A little heavy on the reins perhaps but, yes, she's got talent," the Doctor replied constructively, watching Anna through her binoculars.

Seconds later, Anna and Swooper were at the ceiling once again, flapping silently through the evening air, the horse rising and falling gently between his wing-beats. Out of the clouds, Anna could see one of the Castlewood trams slowly moving down its cable toward the city of Spellsburg below. Several people in the car were looking and pointing at Anna with awed faces. The horse banked away and, holding the reins with one hand and waving with the other, they dove into the clouds and out of sight. Anna's teeth were aching from the cold hitting her broad smile.

After leveling off again, Anna looked out over the green plateau toward a beautiful falling sun. She was imagining the white cliffs of her far away home and could almost smell its sweet flowers when it happened.

From above them came a crushing blow, and Anna felt something huge smash into her left leg. Swooper grunted and then veered to the right, looking back under his left wing for what might have hit them. By the time Anna had regained her balance to look back, there was nothing to explain what had just happened.

"What was that?" Anna yelled. "What happened?"

WHAM!

They were struck again, this time from the back and beneath. Caught completely off-guard, Anna and her horse tumbled end over end through the air. Anna held on tight, hugging the sides of the horse with her legs, and leaning over to grip the clip on her harness to remain saddled. The blow that struck them was so vicious it left Anna's mind struggling to remain conscious, but now she knew what was happening; something was attacking them.

The cold wind hitting her face cleared her head quickly and now she could hear Pearl's sharp and panicked whistle shrieking below them.

"Down!" Anna yelled, but it was too late. They were slammed again, this time from the right; and that's when Anna saw it. A huge, gold and white flying Palomino had struck them hard and was now flying along their side. Anna looked over and saw another girl, her face twisted in a fight to keep her horse from attacking them once again.

"Get away!" Anna screamed, waving them off. "Get your horse away!"

"I'm trying!" the girl yelled back. "He won't respond to my commands!"

And then, unexpectedly, Swooper struck back. Dipping slightly right, the leading edge of his right wing suddenly shot forward, striking the other horse on the side of the neck and snapping its head toward them. The Palomino swerved off while Anna's horse banked sharply left to get away. Looking back, she saw the other rider lose her balance after Swooper's blow and slid off the saddle and out of sight. She could see the girl's harness clip snap tight from the strain of its rider dangling on the other side. Anna could barely hear the whistle below her now and, looking down, she understood why. They had risen well above the five hundred foot ceiling, and were now at least a thousand feet high and still climbing.

"No Swooper! Down! We have to go down. We're too high!"

Anna tugged on the reins with all her might, but her horse wasn't responding. She heard grunting sounds behind them and quickly looked back. The Palomino was there, his eyes blazing like red-hot coals; spit flying from his mouth as he chased them from behind. She could hear the other horse's jaws snapping together like heavy, wooden blocks, reaching for her horse's legs, while Swooper kicked wildly back at their attacker. The other rider was still dangling over the side, desperately trying to throw her leg over the saddle again.

They twisted again into a steep right turn, and this time Anna leaned in, working with Swooper's determination to get away. She whipped the leather reins against his sides, "Go! Go-go-go!" Anna looked under her arm, and could see the Palomino falling behind. But then, without warning, Swooper suddenly jerked into another turn and headed into a cloud where he seemed to disappear from beneath her. At first, Anna thought the clouds were too thick to see anything through the billowing whiteout surrounding them, but when they turned to rise again, Anna was shocked to see the horse she was riding was gone. He had turned invisible once more.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, leaning abruptly forward to grab a handoff of his mane somewhere in front of her. Anna could feel him tense beneath her legs, his wings flapping, straining to gain more altitude. They were at twelve hundred feet, fourteen hundred feet, two thousand feet.

"Stop, Swooper! Where are you going?"

They finally broke through the clouds and Anna groaned. She could now see what her horse was planning. They were several hundred feet above the Palomino who was completely unaware of his vulnerable position beneath them. Anna could hear her horse snort furiously in front of her, and then roll into a dive toward their attacker below. Anna felt completely alone, falling at tremendous speed through the sky toward the other horse, which was getting larger by the second in front of them. She tried to hide her eyes behind his invisible head to keep them from seeing what would happen next.

"No — no — don't!" Anna screamed, yanking back hard on the reins with all her strength. At the last possible moment, Swooper became visible again just as the Palomino looked up. His eyes widened in shock.

CRACK! WHAM!

The collision was horrifying and, for a moment, Anna didn't think any of them would survive the blow. The Thorse tumbled over and over as Anna held on, her eyes clinched tight. Finally, Swooper snorted angrily again and unfolded his wings to slow their decent. Anna opened her eyes at last, and watched in horror as the other horse and its rider spiraled slowly down. The Palomino's huge feathered wings were extended, fluttering in a helpless quiver as they spun lazily down, down, down.

Anna leaned her head forward to catch her breath, her mind struggling to calm itself as she glanced around, not quite sure if what had just happened was truly over. She could see the skies were now clear around them as she yelled angrily down at her horse.

"What — are you insane? You could have killed us both." Anna shouted, leaning over to look at her horse from the side. "And what was that disappearing-reappearing act all about? Was that your idea of a surprise attack? Listen — I didn't like being left alone out here." The horse snorted loudly and yanked his nose forward in disgust. "Oh yeah, big bad master of the sky. Well I think it's safe to say we're both in a lot of trouble. Do you have any idea how high we are? Where the heck are we, anyway?"

Anna glanced around, trying to find her bearing. They were miles north of the castle, soaring thousands of feet higher than allowed. The tops of several surrounding mountains were reaching up toward them from below.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw something completely unexpected. She could see deep into the distance across a tall line of mountains, which usually blocked their view from Castlewood and the deepest parts of the Shadowed Forest beyond. There, in the far off expanse beyond the mountains, sat a large, black castle alone in a valley set deep in the center of the forest.

"What the heck is that?" Anna said, as they slowly descended. "Hold on. Left, go left will you?"

The horse obeyed, and Anna looked out over the dark and shadowed distance, the cold wind whipping over the mountaintops was stinging her eyes as she strained to see. And there it was again, the spiral towers of a gigantic, black castle, sitting in what looked like a lake at the bottom of the valley. The entire building was enveloped within a bluish, white haze, but she could clearly see several firelights flickering through the castle's windows in the distance.

"I wonder who lives there?" she said ominously. "Out beyond the mountains, in the middle of the forest? How would you even get there?" They entered another cloud unexpectedly and started to drop down again. When they broke into clearer skies once more, Anna could see the black castle had disappeared from her view below the now rising mountains. Finally, at a thousand feet, Anna could hear a very shrill whistle coming from the stadium.

"Come on, we'd better get back," she said, tugging the reins to the side as she glanced back over her shoulder again, looking for any gaps through the mountains.

When Anna finally landed, Doctor Pearl and Mr. Kingston were running over to her.

"Are you all right, my dear?" said Pearl, in a panicked voice.

"Yes, I'm fine. We were attacked! There was another horse and it…"

"Yes, I know. We saw what happened. Swooper and that Abraxan Palomino have a nasty history over this plateau," said Pearl, shaking her head. "We should have remembered that, but we were so preoccupied with flying him again. It was vital to strengthen his awakening right away. The important thing is that you're all right."

"I see Swooper took a couple of nasty bites on the legs back here, doctor," observed Kingston, who was frowning down at the horse's bloody injuries.

"What about the other girl and her horse? Did they make it down all right?" asked Anna.

"They took a hard landing in the plateau just outside the stadium. Young Miss Cobstone broke a leg when they hit the ground, but I've already mended it. She's as good as new. The Palomino's pride will take a bit longer to heal, I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I did everything I could to stop them from fighting, but…"

"Never mind that, dear; it wasn't your fault. We have to accept the fact that these beasts will fight. Yes, even in the middle of a match sometimes. You handled yourself well up there and kept a cool head. I know of nobody who could have done a better job getting him down under the circumstances."

"Sorry about going over the ceiling limit but, in the middle of all that, I think I was just baggage along for the ride. I did see something strange while I was up there, though," Anna said, handing her harness back to Mr. Kingston. "I saw this big, black castle on the other side of the mountains. What was that?" Anna could tell from Pearl and Kingston's reaction that she might have said something wrong.

"I don't know what you're talking about, my dear. There are no buildings in the Shadowed Forest," Pearl replied coolly.

Anna frowned. She could tell by the way Pearl was looking that she didn't believe her.

"But there is. I saw it. It was a huge castle. It had…"

"Rubbish!" interrupted Mr. Kingston, frowning suspiciously. "Must have been the light from the evening sun… playing tricks on your eyes; a common thing around here, really."

Anna would have let the subject drop if it weren't for the worried look between the man and Pearl.

"Look, I'm not crazy. I saw it. What is it… an old school or something?"

"I'm telling you, Miss Grayson, there are no buildings out there." Pearl said, now clearly appearing worried as she moved to look closely for any unnoticed injuries on Anna's body.

"But…"

"Enough." The doctor's tone turned purposefully stern, "Anna… dear… if you continue to carry on like this I'll have to admit you onto the hospital floor again for a more thorough examination."

"Miss Grayson?" A Crimson Guard had arrived unnoticed behind them.

"Yes?"

"I am to escort you back to the castle. Your presence has been requested in the Chancellor's office."

"Professor Thordarson's office? You mean… right now?"

"Right now, Miss Grayson. The matter is urgent." Anna looked at Gwen, who shrugged.

"You'd better get going, my dear," said Doctor Pearl. "Mr. Kingston and I will take care of Swooper. Off you go!"

"Are you sure he's going to be all right?" Anna said, looking back at the horse. "The injuries on his legs…"

Pearl smiled. "Nothing our stable master can't fix in less than a minute. Swooper will be fine. In fact, the fight probably did him more good than we know. If a good scuffle doesn't keep him from sinking into despair again, nothing will."

"Thank you so much for letting me ride," Anna said, smiling broadly. "I've never had so much fun in my entire…"

"Miss Grayson!" interrupted the guard again.

Pearl nodded to her. "We'll speak later, dear. You'd better go."

Anna and Gwen followed the guard out of the stadium, across the plateau, and through the entranceway into Spellsburg.

"So what do you think is going on?" whispered Gwen.

"I think I'm in a lot of trouble for going over the ceiling limit."

"But that wasn't your fault. What were you supposed to do, jump off at five hundred feet just to keep from breaking the rules?"

Anna shrugged worriedly. "This is great. I went to the stadium because I was put in detention, and while doing that, I end up breaking more school rules and land in the Chancellor's office. My father is going to kill me. Oh, I am _soooo_ dead."

"But I was there. I can tell them what happened, and so can Doctor Pearl. It wasn't your fault!"

"I wonder why Doctor Pearl and Mr. Kingston didn't want to talk about that castle I saw," Anna said, suspiciously. She filled Gwen in about the fight between the horses and how she ended up high enough to see the black castle deep in the Shadowed Forest.

"And you're sure you saw this place… a big castle in the forest?" Gwen asked, lowering her voice so the guard in front couldn't hear them.

"Yes. I'm telling you, it's there. Just a few miles north, beyond those mountains," Anna said, pointing at the distant hills.

Gwen frowned. "It's strange that I've never heard anything about a castle before now. I wonder who lives there?"

"No idea. But from the reaction I got from Doctor Pearl, it doesn't seem as though anybody knows anything about it, or at least… maybe nobody wants to talk about it."

"Well, I think a little work in the library should clear it up. It's probably abandoned, anyway."

"I don't think so. I saw lots of lights burning in the place."

They made their way back across the drawbridge and into the castle. After climbing several staircases and passing through numerous corridors, the guard stopped at a blank stone wall between two standing suits of armor. He cleared his throat.

"Crimson red," the guard bellowed.

Instantly, the suits of armor sprang to life and reached in to pull the wall open like a set of drapes covering a window. On the other side of the wall, a double oak door with intricate carvings blocked their path. The guard knocked.

"Come in!" called the Chancellor's voice from inside. The guard opened the door and Anna and Gwen stepped inside. Anna was surprised to see all of her brothers and sisters waiting for her.

"Ah, the missing Grayson has finally arrived. Please… come in, Anna. Miss Reese, I am afraid I'll have to ask you to wait outside."

"Professor Thordarson, I was there at the stadium and I saw what happened," Gwen blurted out anxiously. "It wasn't Anna's fault. You see there was this other horse and…"

"Miss Reese," the Chancellor interrupted raising a hand as if to calm Gwen's fears, "this has nothing to do with what might have happened this evening in the skies over the plateau. This is a private matter for the Grayson family. You may wait for Anna outside."

The Crimson Guard tapped Gwen on her shoulder and pointed to the door. Gwen stared at Anna who looked just as confused as she did.

"Oh, okay. I'll just… ah… wait outside, then," she said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Thank you. Anna will be along shortly," Thordarson replied kindly, directing his gaze to the door behind her again. Gwen left with the guard, leaving the Chancellor alone with the family.

Eric finally spoke, "So what's this about, Professor? We're all here now. What's going on?"

Thordarson sat down at his desk. "Yes… well… I must first warn you. What I have to say will come as a bit of a shock, but first let me assure you that everything is all right now." He took a deep breath. "There has been another attack at the Grayson estate."

"An attack?" yelped Damon, who suddenly stood straight from the wall he was leaning on. "By whom… against whom?"

The Chancellor sighed, "I'm afraid your father was the target of the attack."

"What?" Eric yelled, standing abruptly in front of his chair.

"But he's fine," Thordarson said, raising his hands as if to clam them all. "I already spoke to your father tonight and he has not been injured in any way. Just a few bumps and bruises is all. Nothing… eh… long-lasting."

"Bumps and bruises? Who did this? Who attacked Daddy?" Anna yelled, stepping angrily up to the Chancellor's desk.

"I'm afraid we don't have a lot of information on that quite yet. Your father requested that I bring you together in my office at eight o'clock tonight. He should be calling in any second to explain what has occurred. Ahhh, I believe he's coming in now."

There was a soft whistle emanating from the stone bowl on Professor Thordarson's desk, and the Chancellor reached out with his want to give it two quick taps on its edge. A beam of blue light shot up from its empty bottom and, with a slight pop, Mister Grayson's head suddenly appeared over the bowl within the gentle blue flames.

"Good evening, all," said Mister Grayson, with a smile.

"Daddy! Are you all right?" Tencha asked, leaping forward to the desk. "Professor Thordarson said you were attacked?"

"Yes — yes, but I'm fine, my dear. Please… everybody relax and I'll tell you what happened."

244


	22. Help from Home

Chapter 22d24 – Help from Home

Chapter 22

Help from Home

ONE

As Mister Grayson's face floated silently in the flames rippling about his head, the rest of the Grayson family stared transfixed, looking at him. His warm smile and deep reassuring voice immediately seemed to calm the growing tension the children shared in Thordarson's office. Mister Grayson could see the distressed look on their faces as he sat in a chair in front of his fireplace at home. He knew they wanted to hear he was unharmed, that the attack upon him the night before wasn't serious. He would not reveal the truth that the delay in his telling them about the attack was due to Healer Nosova's efforts to put him on his feet again, and his on-going work to insure they, his children, were well protected while out of his reach.

After the healers mended his body, Mister Grayson had taken immediate action in partnership with Professor Thordarson to increase the Grayson's personal security at the school. This was especially true with Anna. For Mister Grayson was now convinced the attack upon his person was somehow connected to the mysteries surrounding his daughter at Castlewood. He had distinctly heard his attacker screech Anna's name during the assault, and it was this, more than anything else, that gave him the strength he needed to fight the invader off. With the Chancellor's help, Mister Grayson had made the necessary arrangements to send somebody from the estate to watch over Anna, and to keep him informed of her state and well being. But as he stared into the warm office, all the fears for his children's security were immediately replaced by a father's longing to be with his family.

"I miss you all so much," he said, in an aching voice. "I can't believe it's only been a few days; seems like months."

"Daddy, are you sure you're all right?" Dowla asked, mistaking his shaking voice for pain.

"As I said, I'm fine… just a little sore is all."

"What happened, Father? Who attacked you?"

"I'm still not quite sure myself. But, as near as I can tell, it was a ghost."

Anna's eyes widened.

"A ghost? But a ghost can't attack somebody?" Damon said, critically.

"Bad choice of words; it was more than a ghost. More likely… a poltergeist or something transfigured, perhaps, would be a better explanation," Mister Grayson replied, wincing somewhat as he settled himself into his seat. "The attack was quite physical and, it would seem, very personal. It also did some damage inside the house; a few bowed walls and some damaged artwork. Nothing that Widwick couldn't fix, of course."

"I don't understand… why would a ghost attack you? Why would something like that just show up and do this?" said Eric, looking at the Chancellor.

"Anna knows."

Anna eyes shot up at Tencha, who she saw was pointing an accusing finger toward her.

"Anna said something about a new ghost in the house almost two weeks ago."

"What?" Eric blurted out, glaring back at Anna. "Anna is this true? Did you see this thing that attacked Father?"

Anna looked hesitant. In reality, the moment her father uttered the word ghost, her mind brought forth the thing calling itself the ally. And, while it had never hurt her, she also knew first hand the thing had a temper, but violent? Why? Why would it attack their father?

"I don't know if it's the same thing. I've only seen it twice," Anna explained, uncertainly.

Mister Grayson's stern voice seemed to boom into the room. "Anna, you should have told me about this immediately," he said angrily. "You know Cookie won't allow another ghost in the house. It's his job to keep them out." Their father leaned back to think. "It's very unlikely two imprinted spirits would try to enter the estate in such a short a period of time. The thing that attacked me must be the same entity you saw. Was this thing ever violent toward you?" Mister Grayson's face looked much bigger within the flames now. It seemed to loom forward into the space in front of her.

"No, sir. I mean, not really. It scared me a little, but it never tried to hurt me. It was never violent." There was an almost deafening silence in the room as Mister Grayson's head retreated to settle over the bowl on the Chancellor's desk again.

"Forgive me. Perhaps it is an old man's failing eyesight, but you look like a person troubled by other matters, Anna," Professor Thordarson gently interrupted. "Is there anything more you wish to tell us?" The rest of the Graysons turned to look at their sister again.

Anna thought. There was more. "Daddy, the thing that visited me said it was a part of the family… it called itself… an ally."

"Indeed? Now that is interesting," Thordarson replied.

"Interesting? What do you mean, Professor?" asked Eric.

Anna looked at Thordarson. She could tell he knew exactly what she was thinking. He smiled at her, giving Anna an encouraging nod to tell them more.

"Because, during the Joining Ceremony, the voices in the mirror also said something about the ally," Anna said, hesitantly. "The voices inside the mirror knew about it."

"Did they say why it was here?" Dowla asked.

"The ghost said it was sent to act as my interpreter. It said it was sent to assist me, and make sure I was prepared." Anna looked around the room and could tell from the puzzled look on everybody's face that it was time to tell them all she knew. She explained everything the ghost had said, about the battle to come, the war between good and evil. She also told them what the Mirror of Enlightenment had said about the conflict, and that _He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named_ was allegedly gathering strength again.

"You mean, Voldemort?" said Damon, disbelievingly. "But Voldemort is dead. He's been dead for years now." Some of the portraits in Thordarson's office gasped at hearing the Dark Lord's name.

"Yes… in fact he disappeared just days before Anna's birth," said Thordarson, titling his head down to look at Anna from under his lowered brow. The room went very quiet again. Everybody seemed to be having trouble getting their mind wrapped around all of this new information. Finally, Anna told them the thing that had been bothering her ever since she had become a Guardian.

"Daddy… the voices in the mirror also said the ally was… a woman, and…" Anna wavered slightly again, "they said she had been murdered."

"A member of our family… murdered? But that's impossible — ridiculous." Eric said, skeptically. He leaned forward in his chair. "Let me get this straight. This ghost comes into our house and says she's a member of the family, and then she tells you… she was murdered. Then she attacks our father? It doesn't make any sense."

Anna frowned. "No, that's not right. The ghost said it was a member of the family and had come to help me. It was the mirror that told me the ally was a murdered woman. But the voices within the mirror also confirmed the ally was here to help me. The ally told me she remembers very little about her past. She doesn't even remember her own name, and I don't think she knows she was murdered. She only seems to know she was recently awakened by magic to assist me."

"What was that?" Thordarson asked suddenly. "What was it she said about being awakened?"

Anna sat back, trying desperately to recall everything the ghost had said to her. She realized, although she didn't understand what was happening, she couldn't hold anything back now. This ally couldn't have come to help her if it was attacking her father.

Anna thought hard. "The ally said both of us were awakened to fight the madness to come. Voldemort is apparently growing stronger," there was another gasp from the portraits around them, "and his followers are gathering once again. She said she was awakened to help me, and I was awakened to…" Anna looked around at the stunned faces of Damon, Tencha and Dowla who were hearing most of this for the first time, "to keep this battle from destroying everything."

"You were awakened?" said Dowla, suspiciously. "What the heck does that mean?"

Anna looked at her sister warily and then up at Damon who had an infuriating look of revulsion on his face. She knew what he was thinking, that she, Anna, was continuing to be something different than normal. She knew Damon hadn't changed his opinion about her just because she was allowed to travel to Castlewood. Despite everything that had happened to prove she belonged at the school, he still wanted her locked in a closet and hidden from the world. Anna's face flushed with anger as she stared at Damon.

"The power given to me at birth," she snapped, "had been awakened."

Damon smirked. He folded his arms and looked away as if to survey a row of books pushed into the case next to him. Once again, silence took hold of the room.

Thordarson sighed, and then folded his hands to rest his chin upon them. He seemed deep in troubled thought. "It is not possible for a spirit to awaken so long after they've passed without God's help. When we die, most of us hope our spirits will travel on to the higher realms of our existence. A few wizards, however, fearing their own mortality, will use magic to leave an imprint of themselves in the world they once knew. The ghosts who walk this castle, for example, are merely an embossment of what they once were in life. But to have an imprint created after death… is unheard of." Thordarson leaned forward to look at Mister Grayson. "Obviously, there is powerful magic at work here, Boris."

"Yes… but the voices in the mirror told Anna this thing was a member of our family and had been murdered." Mister Grayson shook his head. "I agree with Eric; this doesn't make any sense. I have always taken great pride in knowing the details of our family history. To my knowledge, no Grayson has ever been murdered. There have been a few accidents, to be sure," he said, uncomfortably, "but these things happen in every family. There hasn't been a hint of suspicion pointing to a wrongful death among our descendants in over a thousand years."

"So, what is this thing? Some kind of rouge ghost, looking for trouble?" asked Tencha, glancing around the room.

Anna ignored her. "Daddy, you said you thought the attack was personal. What made you say that?"

"Because of some of the things I heard it say during the assault. It said it had been deceived and betrayed." Mister Grayson winced slightly again as he shifted his weight in his chair. "It was definitely taking out its frustrations on me."

"The most important thing, Boris, is that you're all right," said Thordarson. "I take it the ministry has been notified of this attack?"

"Yes, there was still a skeleton crew here from the Committee for the Deposal of Dangerous Creatures after the attack on Anna and Damon. The disturbance inside the mansion brought them running to my aid."

"Thank God they were there," said Tencha.

"Yes — I'm afraid they're back in full strength on the grounds once again," Mister Grayson said derisively.

"Well two attacks on our family in such a short period of time should warrant a lot of their attention," Damon said, self-importantly.

Anna peeked up at Professor Thordarson somewhat embarrassed. Damon still didn't know it was Anna who had attacked him.

Professor Thordarson only gave Anna a quick glance. "I agree the situation merits caution. Let the Ministry do their work, Boris. I know you well enough to remember how you dislike strangers in the Grayson house, but for the comfort and confidence of your family here at Castlewood, I advise you allow the Ministry to investigate this incident thoroughly. They have the power to insure this attack won't be repeated."

"Yes, of course. While it's rather problematic getting any work done while they're here, I wanted the children to know what had happened, and what precautions I'll be taking to make sure it doesn't happen again." Mister Grayson looked at his family. "You should be concentrating on your studies, and not worrying about me here at the mansion. As you can see, I'm taking all the necessary steps to rid us of this nuisance. Focus on your duties at school; we'll be all right here."

"Yes, sir," some of the children replied.

"I know we all have a lot of questions, but it's my job to worry about the answers. You're job awaits you in your lessons." After insuring his children understood the immediate danger was past, Mister Grayson moved to finally change the subject.

"So… Anna, this is the first time I've had a chance to speak to you since the Joining Ceremony and the creation of the Guardians. The start of a new union at Castlewood," he said with a far off stare, a hint of enormous pride building in his voice. "Congratulations."

"Oh — ah… thank you, Daddy," Anna replied, looking somewhat embarrassed at the others, "I guess," she added, softly.

"And Eric… I'm so very proud of you too, son. Professor Thordarson told me about your final decision to reenter the mirror again. Your willingness to help your sister falls in line with the strongest traditions of our family. The change of union was unexpected, of course, but… well… how do you feel about that?"

"I feel honored the Graysons have been asked to help the school sustain this new Union, Father. Professor Thordarson and I agree with you, and feel it's vital we do all we can to insure what Anna has started gets a fair chance to succeed."

Mister Grayson grinned. "Excellent!" He looked at his other children. "I expect all of you will want to walk through the Mirror of Enlightenment again at your first opportunity," he said, encouragingly. "It's important the rest of the school see all of the Graysons coming together on this."

"Professor Titan allowed Tencha and me to walk through the mirror again this morning, Daddy," Dowla said, informatively. Anna looked up at them in surprise. Dowla was motioning to Tencha, who also nodded.

"It said we both still belonged in the Searchers' Union," said Tencha. "No change for us."

The twins looked suspiciously at Damon, who seemed very uncomfortable about the direction of the conversation.

"And when can we expect to see you walking through the mirror again, Damon?" Dowla asked sardonically.

Damon smirked before realizing the whole family was now staring at him. He tried to recover quickly.

"I'm thinking about it," he said coolly, glaring at Anna across the room.

Anna shook her head. She knew he was only saying this to appease their father. Damon had no intension of ever leaving the Defenders' Union, their father's Dynasty, for the sake of the family squib.

"Atta-boy, Damon," Mister Grayson said, through the flames, "and congratulations, son, on being named a Defender Knight. Outstanding work!"

Damon's lips curled in satisfaction. "Thank you, sir."

"Two Knights in the same family; if you all continue to feed your father's pride like this… my expectations are liable to go up."

The children looked at each other and groaned amusedly.

"I'm glad to see everybody doing their part on their sister's behalf. And… that reminds me. I have a little surprise for you, Anna," her father said, turning to look at her again.

Anna snapped up. "A what?"

"It's just my way of offering a little more support from home to help you handle these… ah…" he hesitated to smile, "…let's call them unforeseen Guardian affairs. Professor Thordarson, if you would be so kind?"

"It would be my pleasure," said the Chancellor, who was slowly getting to his feet again.

Anna frowned, looking over at Eric who suddenly seemed to be grinning with controlled anticipation.

"What's going on?" Anna said, looking at her brother as she stood to watch Professor Thordarson walk to a side door. Eric shrugged innocently, as the Chancellor opened the door.

"We're ready for you now," he said, looking down at the floor on the other side.

There was a flash of something grayish-green streaking across the threshold. It hit Anna full in the stomach, wrapping her legs tight.

"Oooff!" Anna gasped as she toppled to the floor with whatever it was now sitting on top of her. Anna opened her eyes to focus on the small creature sitting upon her chest. "GABBY!" The huge oval eyes of the Grayson's house elf were quivering as they looked upon her mistress.

"Oh, Miss Anna, I is so happy to sees you!" The elf squealed delightedly, throwing her arms around Anna's neck.

"Wha… What are you doing here?" Anna said, sitting up from the floor and hugging the elf back.

"Master Grayson has given mes permission to leave the house. Iz traveled to Castlewood all buys myself," she said, proudly. "Iz here to _help_!"

"Help? Help with what?"

"Iz is to help my Anna while she is building the new union!"

Anna looked around the room and found her entire family smiling at her, except for Damon, of course, who had a look of fixed disgust on his pallid face.

"It's only for this year," said Mister Grayson. "I believe you're going to need all the help you can get with your studies. And of course there's this _small_ matter of sustaining the new Union." He winked at her. "Because of the abnormal circumstances surrounding all of this, Professor Thordarson has agreed to let Gabby work in the castle and help you where and when she can," her father explained.

Anna's face broke into a huge grin. "Oh, Gabs! This is fantastic! Welcome to Castlewood!" she said excitedly, hugging her friend again.

"Mind you, we all agreed it's just for the year," Mister Grayson said, in a business-like tone. His words seemed reminiscent of a vague accord, which only recently had been reached.

Gabby's head scrunched down slightly as she turned to smile at her master. "Yes, sir. Iz understand, sir. I is to work hard, take care of my mistress, and look after the new Guar-di-di-ans," Gabby explained reassuringly.

Anna giggled. "That's — Guardians, Gabs." She looked over at her father. "Thank you, Daddy. This is wonderful, and lord knows I can certainly use the help."

"Well… to tell you the truth, she wasn't doing a lot of good here at the house anyway. All she's done since you left is mope around and yell at Widwick and Cookie all day. A longer transition might be good for the both of you."

Mister Grayson let out a sigh and leaned back. "Well… I've got to be going. It's still early here, and I have a conference with the Minister of Argentina at six o'clock, and then I have a security meeting with the CDDC wizards on the grounds.

"Remember our talk in the line while you were here. I expect your best work and behavior — always."

Anna cringed. She wondered if her father had heard about her detention yet. She decided not to mention it.

"Good luck to you all; don't forget to send your father an owl when you can. I love you. And don't worry about things here at the manor; we'll be all right." His head loomed forward into the room once more to look at all of them.

"Goodbye, Daddy. We love you," said the twins together.

"Bye, Daddy, and thanks… for everything," said Anna, who tried to reach out to her father's glowing face through the flames.

"Goodbye, pumpkin. I'll see you all over Christmas."

Mister Grayson's head pivoted over the bowl to look to the side. "Once again, Professor, thank you for making allowances, and these arrangements. I'll be in touch in a few days to check in."

"Goodbye, Boris, and don't worry about anything here. You take care of yourself now," Thordarson replied earnestly.

Mister Grayson nodded, looked into the room at his children again, and smiled. His face began to elongate and distort as the blue flames over the bowl blazed brightly for an instant. There was a far-off whistle and, with a slight _POP_, he was gone.

Anna looked over at the elf. "When did you arrive at Castlewood, Gabs?"

"Iz just did. Master Eric was very kind to meet me at the ship."

Anna looked at Eric. He was still smiling.

"After father received permission from the Chancellor to send her, I went down to the harbor and escorted Gabby into Spellsburg."

The elf tugged on Anna's leg. "Master Eric knows Iz afraid of heights — I is."

Professor Thordarson smiled as he sat down at his desk. "The castle elves, with few exceptions, have full access throughout the castle," he explained, "and they are allowed to Apparate most anywhere within this structure. Gabby should, however, have a companion for her first few days, just to make sure she stays out of danger. I will find another elf to be her escort and make sure she finds her way around."

Anna had a thought. "I met a very nice elf in the first-year's dinning hall the other day. His name was Tisket. Maybe he would be willing to help her." The Chancellor nodded agreeably.

"Well, I guess we should be going, Professor. Thanks again for letting us speak to our father," Eric said, shaking the Chancellor's hand. "If you do speak with him again, could you…?"

"I will update all of the Graysons on his state immediately, of course."

"Thank you, sir."

The Graysons began to file out. As Anna entered the torch lit hallway, there was a surprised yell.

"Gabby!" Gwen was now running up the corridor toward them.

Gabby looked up and her eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Miss Gwendowyn?"

"I've got you now, elf!" Gwen said, her expression set with scowled determination.

Gabby's face formed a wicked grin, and there was a slight _POP_ as the elf unexpectedly Disapparated. With a smoky _PHOOMF_, she reappeared again sitting on top of Gwen's shoulders, her legs straddled down over her neck.

"UGGHN!" Gwen stumbled and almost fell forward. She recovered quickly, however, and reached up to grab one of Gabby's draped legs. "Gotcha!" she yelled, but Gabby had Disapparated again and reappeared down at Gwen's feet. The elf reached up and tweaked Gwen's knees just below her shirt.

"Ouch! Why you little — " Gwen made another grab for the small elf as the rest of the Graysons started to laugh.

"There they go again," Eric said, shaking his head as he watched the elf dodge and zigzag around Gwen's outstretched hands, only to Disapparate once again. "I had forgotten… Gwen never did learn this lesson, did she?"

Anna shook her head, "No, but you have to give her credit. She's never given up trying."

_PHOOMF! _

Gabby reappeared once again, this time behind Gwen, where she promptly swatted the girl on the rump.

Gwen yelped in surprise. "AAARGH! Oh you little fiend!" she hollered, as she spun around and closed her arms around… _POP_… nothing. There was a hollow giggle in the air as the elf reappeared on Gwen's left to give her ponytail a yank.

"Oooww!"

"Heeee-hee-hee," snickered the elf who then Disapparated once again in a puff of white smoke.

Gwen stood straight, rubbing her sore head and looking around. "Where'd she go?" she yelled, looking over at Anna. The twins were laughing so hard they had to lean on each other to stand. Even Damon seemed to be enjoying Gwen's suffering.

"Where is she?" Gwen hollered again. Anna smiled, shrugging innocently, but Gwen could see her eyes dart to a spot behind her head. Gwen slowly looked up to see the elf hiding behind the helmet of one of the suits of armor standing there. The elf suddenly leapt down at her.

"Aaaahh!" Gwen screamed, ducking over and covering her head.

_POP!_

The elf had Disapparated in midair and reappeared standing behind her. She grabbed the hem of Gwen's robes and threw them up and over her head, giggling maliciously.

They could now hear Gwen screaming with rage. "Hey — no fair!"

"You'd better give up, Gwen," Eric called to her. "You know this is pointless."

"Never! Oh you just wait, elf. Where's my wand? I'm not a kid anymore; you won't get away with this. I'm almost a fully studied witch now! I'm gonna… OUCH!" Gabby pinched Gwen on her bottom.

"Oooohhhh, is a _real_ witch, is she, now?" the elf said, teasingly. "You's want to see her knickers?" she said, looking at the boys.

"Yeah!" Damon hollered.

"That might be nice," Eric replied laughingly.

"No!" screamed Gwen, who was frantically pushing her robes back over right again. The Graysons howled with laughter at her hair, which was magically standing straight out from her head in a shocking hue of blue.

"What!" Gwen yelled, as she began feeling about her head. "Oooo — you little… come here!"

She made another grab for the elf.

_PHOOMF!_

Gabby was once again sitting on Gwen's shoulders, straddling her neck.

Gwen huffed loudly and stomped her foot, folding her arms in frustration. "Oh, all right!" she said, rolling her eyes in disgust, "I give up!"

"Happy — happy day!" yelled the elf, triumphantly. She leaned over, "Give me my circles then, horsy!"

"Oh, come on, Gabby. Don't make me do that again," she pleaded, with a look reminiscent of a child being told to eat her peas.

"You's said you's give up!" Gabby yelped, grabbing Gwen's ponytails and bouncing up and down on her shoulders. "Circles, circles, circles!"

"Ouch! Oooow — all right, then. You evil… little… thing!"

"Come on horsy-Gwen. You started this; now you have to finish it," chimed Dowla, still laughing with the rest.

Gwen screwed up her face and closed her eyes, embarrassed. She quickly turned a full circle to her left.

"The horsy circles to the left," Gwen said, in an exasperated tone.

"Wa-hoo!" sang Gabby happily, while the Graysons howled.

Gwen turned another circle in the opposite direction.

"The horsy circles to the right," Gwen started to giggle and then, looking at the Graysons roaring with delight, she started to laugh herself.

"Giddi – giddi – giddi, horsy," screamed Gabby. Gwen was now laughing too hard to stand and almost tumbled into the suit of armor as she struggled to keep herself from falling over. "Giddi – giddi – giddi!"

Gwen began to circle again. "The horsy," she laughed, "circles to the left and then takes flight!" Gwen started hopping forward. "One – two – three!"

"WHHHEEEE!" squealed the elf, her little hands waving madly over her head.

Anna, holding her stomach and trying to catch her breath, was snorting uncontrollably. Gwen straightened and, with her face turning the brightest shade of red, she tried hard to recover what little dignity she had left. Her face went slack as she folded her arms again in mocked disgust.

"Okay, I did it. Now will you get off me?"

Gabby grinned and then leaned forward to look upside-down into Gwen's tortured face. The elf's little head twisted as she turned sincere.

"You is a good horsy, Miss Gwendowyn."

"Yeah — yeah… whatever. Now get off."

_PHOOMF!_

The elf now stood on the floor at her feet, and Gwen's soured face instantly broke into a huge grin.

"It's great seeing you again, Gabs," she said, reaching down happily to hug the elf.

"You is missed very-very much, Miss Gwen," said Gabby, hugging the girl back.

"You never learn, do you?" Anna observed, sighing loudly and straightening to catch her breath.

Gwen stood. "Hey, one day, I'll show you. I'll catch that little runt!" she said, pointing over to Gabby, who was waddling over to stand next to Eric. "And when I do…"

"Yeah, in your dreams," laughed Eric. "You keep trying, though, and I'm gonna end up buying you a saddle."

Eric then turned to look at his family, his tone shifting more serious. "Listen to me, all of you. I know we're all worried about what's going on at home, but father has gone to a lot of trouble tonight to try and ease our fears. Something strange is going on around us and I don't like surprises. Anna, you should have told me you were visited by this so-called ally."

"I told them," she replied accusingly, pointing at the other Graysons, "And besides, I didn't know the thing was violent. I had no idea it would attack Daddy."

"Attack?" Gwen whispered, looking down at Gabby. The elf trembled and then nodded fearfully.

Eric continued. "From now on, there are no secrets between us. If anything strange happens to anyone, anything out of the ordinary, we should all agree to tell the rest." They all nodded. "Whatever happened to our father has now been connected to what's happening here at the school. So we need to stay alert."

"Eric… do you think whatever this thing was will attack Daddy again?" Dowla asked, worriedly.

"No, I don't. Father's position in the ministry is far too important to allow such a thing to repeat itself. I'm afraid the CDDC will become a permanent fixture at the estate until we can get a full understanding of these assaults." Eric looked around at Damon and his sisters. He could see the worry etched in all of their faces.

"Look, if I believed for a moment our presence at home would do any good, I would withdraw from the school and put us all on the next ship out. But there's no value we can add to the situation there, so we owe it to father to make sure we're doing our jobs properly where we are." They all nodded again. "So — it's agreed: Anything abnormal happens, we report it to each other at once."

"Right."

"Okay."

"I guess so."

They could hear the clacking sounds of footsteps coming up the hall and Eric saw Tencha's eyes widen. She jerked her head behind him, and Eric turned to see Captain Dunning marching up the corridor with his sister Debbie filling the rest of the hallway by his side. The captain strode up and stopped in front of them.

"What is this?" he sneered, looking around at the people standing in the hall. "Despite what you might believe, these hallways are not to be used for private family parties. What are all the Graysons doing here?"

Eric stepped forward. "We were summoned here, Captain, by the Chancellor."

"Indeed? I was not aware of the necessity of such a meeting?"

Eric frowned. "It was a private family matter. It didn't involve the school."

Debbie Dunning glanced up at her brother and tutted loudly.

"Everything that happens on the school's grounds is a school matter, Grayson," the captain scoffed.

"They were probably negotiating special Grayson privileges from the Chancellor again," Debbie mumbled.

"Shut up, Debbie, and mind your own business," Dowla retorted.

"Temper — temper, Grayson. My brother was just making certain you understood that we're all the same here. Nobody is better than anybody else… despite what some of you might privately believe."

Anna could feel her blood beginning to heat up. _Where did Debbie get off turning a private meeting with the head of the school into some kind of request for special treatment?_

Anna crossed her arms indignantly. "Forgive me. I'm kind of new here, so I'm still learning as I go. Captain… has your sister been granted _special privileges_ here at the school? I mean… have you privately deputized Debbie or something?"

The captain frowned. "Miss Grayson, as it is with most of my exchanges with your family, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'll take that as a no, then?"

"Miss Grayson, you are indeed new, so I will indulge your silly questions only to tell you to explain what you mean or keep silent."

Anna frowned, but kept her cool. "Well, I keep hearing Debbie say we're all the same at this school. However, judging from my own recent experience, and after speaking to several of the other students today, you should know there is a belief out there your sister has been granted the privilege of being an extension of your eyes and ears within the castle." Debbie stepped forward angrily, but the captain stuck his arm out to stop her.

"My sister," the captain replied, in a growled voice that barely moved his lips, "has been granted no special privileges at this school. But the Graysons should already know this, or they would have been first in line to acquire their unfair share of these liberties themselves. No, you see, my sister cares as deeply as I do that the school's rules are to be obeyed — by all of its students. If any student at Castlewood decides to report another for breaking the rules, you will find I take all such reports very seriously, as your detention tonight should have clearly demonstrated to you." The rest of the Graysons looked at Anna in shock.

"You had detention tonight?" asked Eric, in surprise.

"Wow — that was fast," laughed Tencha. "That's got to be a new family record."

Anna ignored them and stepped closer to Captain Dunning. "So, no special privileges for Debbie? She's just doing what all the students are doing in reporting these violations to you as she sees them. Hmm… now that's interesting, but I think it would be just as interesting to see how many of these reports you receive come from Debbie verses everybody else, and how many were delivered to you personally verses the other Crimson Guards."

Captain Dunning's eyes flashed. "Be very careful, Miss Grayson. I was inexcusably lenient with you for your threats against my sister yesterday. Best you learn how to mind that attitude of yours," he said with a hiss.

Debbie stepped in front of Anna. "So, how did you like cleaning those stalls tonight, Anna? Hope you didn't chip a nail filling those bins."

Anna smiled, thinking about her ride on Swooper. She had the urge to thank Debbie for one of the best experience of her life, but thought better of it.

"Oh — yeah. Please don't send me down to the stables again, Debbie," Anna said, in a mocked, pleading tone. "It was dreadful down there. You have no idea."

Gwen began to giggle behind her, and Debbie stared back at Anna with a surprised and baffled frown planted on her face.

"And what are you doing in a populated hallway?" The captain said, pointing down at Gabby. The elf cringed as she hid behind Anna's legs. "Present but not seen, elf! You should be attending the fires," said Captain Dunning, glaring down at her.

"She's with us," Anna replied sharply. "She's a member of our family who just arrived aboard ship. She'll be… ah… staying with me this year." Anna faltered before finishing her statement. She knew what was coming next.

"Oh… another _special privilege_ arranged between the Graysons and our generous Chancellor?" Debbie said, with a wicked grin. "I guess the two hundred or so other castle elves that live here and take care of the rest of us aren't good enough for Anna Grayson. No… she has to have her own personal servant following her around so she can make it through the day. Poor Anna, it must be so difficult for you to live among the rest of us, the lowly and unwashed of Castlewood."

"Gabby wasn't brought to the castle at my request," Anna growled through tightly clinched teeth.

"Oh… is that right? So I suppose you'll be sending the creature home, then… because you won't be needing its services?"

Anna turned bright red with fury, and Debbie smiled triumphantly.

"I didn't think so. Once acquired, Grayson privileges have to be negotiated away. A fair exchange is always important in the business of acquiring favor."

At these words, Tencha stepped in angrily. "Listen, you squatty little …"

"Has your meeting with the Chancellor ended?" Captain Dunning asked, drowning out Tencha's words.

"Yes… we're finished here," Eric replied.

"Then I would suggest you clear this hallway."

"What — do you and Debbie patrol the corridors together every night? Like a couple of bats, looking for insects to devour and…"

"Dowla — enough!" Eric chided.

The Captain glared at them. "Clear out… and get back to your Union Halls."

After a long-enraged pause, the family turned and left together.

"So, you threatened Debbie, huh? Excellent!" said Tencha, who bumped a shoulder into Anna as she passed her on the left.

"There's hope for you yet, kiddo," Dowla said, bumping her again on the right.

They laughed as they turned and headed off toward the Searchers' Hall. "Just make sure you tell us before you bop her in the nose, Anna. Wouldn't want to miss that! See you, Gabby!" The girls were leaning into one another, giggling maliciously, and Anna could distinctly hear them discussing a plan for putting something in Debbie's food as they walked out of sight.

"Eric, we have a Knight's meeting with Dodimayer in ten minutes. We'd better get going," said Damon.

Eric nodded before turning to Anna. "Remember what I said about reporting anything suspicious, Anna," he said, putting his hands lovingly on his sister's shoulders. "Gabby will stay with you tonight, and we'll make arrangements for her duties in the morning." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay. Goodnight," said Anna, as Eric turned and walked away.

"Stay out of trouble," Damon sneered, before turning to follow Eric.

"Yeah — whatever, Damon," Anna grumbled under her breath.

Anna, Gwen, and Gabby walked together down several staircases and entered the tunnel leading them toward the Server and Artisan tower. Anna told Gwen what had happened to her father, and how it all seemed to relate to what the mirror had said. Gwen was gripped with trepidation like a child listening to some strange camp-side tale.

"Wow… and they think it's all connected to you being the first Guardian? That's wild," Gwen said, looking mesmerized.

"Yeah," Anna said, despairingly, "it's a dream come true."

_PHOOMF! _

Gabby had Disapparated again from behind them, and reappeared heavily in Anna's arms.

"UGGHN! Gabby, what are you doing?"

"You's broke your promise to an elf. That is a very naughtily thing to do," Gabby said scowling her, pointing a reproving finger at Anna's nose.

"What are you talking about? What promise?"

"You's said you's would not ride the black flying horse! Black with wings as bats is unlucky, is dread. They is bad. Iz told Miss Anna this before she left home," the elf glowered.

Anna was surprised. "But… but how did you know I was riding…?"

"Iz saws you's on the tram when Master Eric was bringing mes to the castle. That is a bad horse."

"Oh, it is not."

"It is!" Gabby insisted. "Iz telling you, they is unlucky, these creatures is."

"Maybe you should listen to her Anna. After what almost happened to you up there tonight, maybe you should…" Anna stopped Gwen with a glare.

"What? What happened to you's?" Gabby demanded, staring up at Gwen and then back to Anna. "Something did happen. Iz knew it! You is to stay away from that beast."

"But Gabby, nothing happened. I'm standing here now, right? I'm not hurt. You can't hold me to a promise I made to you about a dream. Swooper is a wonderful horse, and he needs my help. He's been very ill for a long time." She set Gabby down on the floor. The elf looked up, her face a study of worry and doubt. "Besides, you said it yourself. All that stuff about being unlucky was just tales from the old country," Anna said, folding her arms in defiance.

The elf looked down, shaking her head. She peered up again, her ears drooping miserably, her eyes filled with fear. Anna could see the elf's mind struggling to choose between the safety of her mistress and the legends of old. It was a constant battle for Gabby.

"You's were not hurt?" asked Gabby, undecidedly.

"No — of course not."

Gabby looked unconvinced as she frowned up at Gwen again. "Miss Gwen would not let my Anna be hurt."

"No, I wouldn't, Gabby," Gwen said coolly, glancing up at Anna whose eyes were burning into her like lasers.

"You's would be careful?" the elf said, looking back at Anna.

Anna squatted down to look into Gabby's concerned face. "Yes mother hen, you can count on it! It's very sweet of you to worry about me, though," she said, kissing the elf on the forehead and smoothing her cheek. The elf smiled up at her.

"I missed you's so much, Miss Anna. Iz hope Iz won't be a pest here at the school. Iz hope Iz can help the Guar-di-di-ans."

Anna smiled. "I'm sure you'll be a great help, Gabby. I'm happy we're together again." Gabby's oval eyes began to fill with happy tears.

"And if Anna can't find something for you to do, Gabs, you can help me with my homework," said Gwen, taking the elf by the hand as they continued to walk down the brightly lit tunnel toward the Union tower. "This is great! Here I am worried about all this third year work, and then you show up. It's almost like you knew we needed your help."

Gwen's words hit Anna like a hammer to the head.

"Like she knew," Anna whispered to herself. "Like she knew?" she said, out loud. Gwen and Gabby stopped and turned around.

"What?" said Gwen.

"Sarah!" replied Anna, in surprise. "She knew. Sarah was right. She said someone in my family was going to be attacked last night, and my father _was_ attacked. Then she said, somebody from home was coming to help me, and…" Anna pointed down at Gabby. "Sarah knew… she got it right!"

Gwen placed a hand on her forehead and smiled. "Oh my God, you're right. Oh Anna, this is so weird. She got everything exactly right, didn't she?" Gwen said, astonished.

"Well, almost everything," Anna replied, somewhat mystified. "All that stuff about the dwelling place of the evil one — I guess she missed on that one."

Gwen's eyebrows lifted. "Anna, what if she did get it right?"

Anna frowned, and then it came to her and she knew what Gwen was thinking. "Oh my God! You don't think? You don't think she meant…?"

"The black castle!" they said, together.

Gwen's face was full of excitement, but Anna shuddered. It was one thing to hear about something evil having a hand on her birth, but to think the thing was so close set alarm bells off in her head.

"Anna, we have to find out more about this place you saw," said Gwen, turning away to think hard. "There has to be a way. Somebody has to know something about it."

_The mirror said this thing would kill me if it knew I was here,_ Anna thought, staring half dazed down the long hallway. Anna thought about Eric, and what he had just said about reporting anything strange. A wave of real fear poured over her, but what could she tell him? That her roommate had a dream and said something very close by was dangerous to her? Anna started to walk quickly down the hall.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to find Sarah!" Anna yelled back as she started running down the tunnel.

Anna finally made it into the tower room, adjoining the Sever and Artisan Halls. As she rounded the corner and headed toward the Server doors, she heard a voice calling out to her from behind.

"Anna?"

Anna slid to a stop and spun around. "Sarah!" She could see her roommate sitting in a chair next to one of the large fireplaces in the room. Sarah immediately jumped to her feet when she saw Anna.

"What's happened?" Sarah asked, knowingly. "Is your family okay?" It was apparent that Sarah was expecting Anna to come looking for her.

"We need to talk right now, Sarah!" said Anna, and she grabbed the girl's elbow to lead her back to a couch where they wouldn't be heard. Gwen and Gabby entered the tower a moment later.

"Oh, no… something _has_ happened," Sarah said sadly, shaking her head.

"Sit!" Anna commanded.

Sarah slowly sat down, trembling and trying to avoid Anna's angry gaze. "Who was it? Who was hurt?" Sarah asked her, reluctantly.

"It was my father!" Sarah looked up; her lips were trembling as tears began to form in her eyes. "But he's all right. He's just a little shaken up. Sarah, I need you to tell me more about what you said. Tell me more about the dwelling place of this evil one. Do you know where it is?"

"No."

"I don't understand. Sarah, tell me everything you know about it."

"I don't know anything about it. I only know what you told me I said during the night."

Anna's frustration was building. Was Sarah being truthful or was she just too afraid to say more?

"Sarah, this is very important to me. You have to tell me…"

"Did… that elf come to you from home?" asked Sarah, pointing at Gabby who was standing next to Gwen.

"What? Oh, yeah. That's Gabby, our house elf. You were right about that too. Gabby was sent from home to help me.

"Gabby, this is Sarah Bell," Anna said, quickly introducing them.

"Sarah… listen to me carefully. I have to know more about this place you said I would see today. Do you know what it might look like?"

Sarah frowned suspiciously and her eyes widened. "You've seen it," she said, slowly. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"I don't know what I saw. That's what I'm trying to understand. Do you know what this place looks like?"

"No… you don't understand, Anna. It doesn't work that way. I never remember my visions. I only know what people tell me after I wake up." Sarah started to cry. "I wish I could help you, I really do. But I can't, because I don't remember saying anything."

Anna fisted her knees in frustration. "Damn!"

Gabby waddled over to sit next to Sarah. The elf's movements were so subtle, Sarah actually jumped when the elf spoke to her.

"Such a sweet child," Gabby said, kindly. "Can you's tell old Gabby about the dreams you's have?"

Sarah leaned away with a half fearful, half embarrassed, expression before looking up at Anna.

"Gabby has been in the Grayson family her entire life, Sarah. She's sworn to secrecy and is one of the wisest people I know. I trust her with my life. Please… tell Gabby what you told me about your visions." Gwen sat in the chair across from them as Sarah reluctantly began to tell them about her predictions during the night. When she finished, Gabby leaned over to her.

"You is blessed, little one," she whispered to Sarah.

"Blessed? It's a curse! I'm a curse to everybody around me. Nobody is safe."

"But you is not causing these things you see," Gabby explained.

"I am!"

"Forgive old Gabby for speaking an elf's mind, but you is not powerful enough to make the birds sing you's songs, or command the direction of bees." Gabby looked up at Anna. "She has the gift of long-sight."

"The what?" asked Gwen, inching curiously forward in her seat.

"Is very rare in wizards. She is a seer of things to come."

"I knew it!" Gwen said excitedly, looking at Anna. "Didn't I tell you?"

"It's not a gift," Sarah said, crying. "Everybody is afraid to be near me. My family hates me!"

Gabby smiled and patted the girl's hand. "I is not afraid of you's, child. Iz would watch over you's while you's slept if little Bell was in my care."

Sarah looked up at the elf. "You would? Wouldn't you be worried?"

"No, Iz wouldn't." Gabby took Sarah's hand. "Mys end is written in the stars by God, Miss Bell. I is a very old elf, and Iz know my time is shortest ahead. If you's tell me my end is near — is not a surprise. Is good to know heaven is so close. You is just confused. You's is not the cause of the things you's see —you is just the herald, the rarest of messengers, you is. You's would not say you was the cause of the good things you see, would you?" Sarah shook her head. "You's see? So you's cannot be the cause of anything that is bad." Gabby bent forward. "You is seeing that now, do you Miss Bell?"

"I… I guess so," Sarah whimpered, timidly. Then she looked up at Anna. "I'll speak to one of the Knights about moving out of our room."

"You will not!" said Anna, in surprise. "I didn't say I wanted you to leave."

"But you wouldn't want me around all the time."

"Listen… my father always said, forewarned people forestall trouble. Trust me, now that I know this thing you were warning me about is nearby, I'll be sleeping as close to you as I possibly can. I want a good head start if this thing decides to come to Spellsburg for a visit."

Sarah frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I just wish you could tell me more."

"Maybe Sarah will have another premonition tonight," said Gwen.

Sarah shook her head. "I don't think so. I've never had the same prediction twice, and never two nights in a row. It may be months before I do it again. I wish I could say never," she said somberly, and Gabby patted her on the hand again.

They continued to discuss the evening's events and Anna told Sarah about the ally, its attack on Mister Grayson, and her flight on Swooper over the mountains to the north. Soon, they were completely talked out and sat quietly watching the fire crackling merrily in the logs in front of them. For the first time since all of this had started, Anna felt she had friends with whom she could share her thoughts and fears. It was a nice feeling to know Gabby and Gwen would be around to help her understand what was happening, and Sarah Bell seemed to have more to hide than she did when it came to the Lethifold. It was somehow encouraging to know she, Anna, wasn't the only one trying to hide something they didn't want others to know.

"Well I, for one, have a ton of homework… and I'm already exhausted," Gwen said, stretching. "I think I'll go up." But another student's voice interrupted them.

"Well… hello again."

The girls looked up. It was the Durkin boy from the stadium field. He looked much taller now that he was clean and dressed in his school robes, standing against Anna's chair with a rolled newspaper in his hand.

Tired as she said she was Gwen seemed to instantly come to life. "Hi there, yourself!" she said standing. "I guess you haven't met everybody yet, have you? Uh… you know my friend from California, of course, Anna Grayson. This is Sarah Bell of Minnesota, and this is Gabby. She's also a member of the Grayson family. Everybody — this is Stephan Durkin. We met him on the Vollucross field today." They all shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you." He turned again to Gwen. "Uh… nice hair color," he said, smiling.

"Huh? Oh no!" yelped Gwen, covering her head and scowling at Gabby. Although the elf's magic had almost worn off, her hair was still a striking shade of purple. "I… ah… I'm…" Gwen stumbled embarrassingly, combing her fingers nervously through her hair.

"Don't worry, I kind of like it," Stephen joked, before turning to face Anna. "Everybody was impressed with your riding abilities over the plateau tonight. I think Doctor Pearl has big plans for you, Anna," he said, giving her a respectful nod.

Anna blushed. In the warm glow of the gentle fire, she could see the boy was very good-looking.

"Oh, thanks. I guess I could have had an easier first flight, though. Trying to stop two angry horses from killing each other wasn't something I'd like to repeat soon."

The boy laughed. "No, I guess not. But you handled yourself very well for your first time out."

He unfolded his newspaper. "Did you all see the paper today? Big things happening overseas at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? What's Hogwarts?" asked Sarah, looking down at the paper, _The Spellsburg Seer._ Sarah was surprised to see three figures on the front-page moving and shaking hands.

"Oh… it's a Wizarding school in England, one of the best in the world. Its Headmaster is Albus Dumbledore. That's a picture of him there," he said, pointing at one of the smiling figures on the front page. "He's supposed to be one of the most powerful wizards of our time." Durkin explained.

"So what's happening at Hogwarts?" shrugged Gwen, who then looked at Anna and whispered, "Isn't that the strangest name you've ever heard for a school?"

"It says Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year," Stephan explained.

"The what?" Anna asked, frowning.

"Listen to this," Stephan said, and he began to read from the paper.

_The international wizarding community is all a buzz tonight after the announcement that the legendary Triwizard Tournament will commence for the first time in over a hundred years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in merry old England. Established by sporting enthusiasts seven hundred years ago, it was first recognized as an excellent way to bring together the three largest European schools of wizardry, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang Academy, in a friendly competition between neighboring schools for the benefit of closer ties between students and future sorcerers within the wizardry community. _

_A champion will be selected to represent each school, and the three will compete in three magical tasks during the tournament. Once rotated between these schools every five years, the competition was abruptly ended one hundred years ago when a number of champions were unexpectedly killed. One such incident happened in 1888 when the champion from Beauxbatons Academy was eaten by a Manticore. _

_This year, however, promises to be different, because the departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is right to try again under some very strict new rules. First, the headmasters of each school must attend the tournament and oversee its preparation and individual tasks. Mister Ludo Bagman, head of England's Department of Magical Games and Sports, was quoted today to say, "We're all very excited about this announcement, and getting the corporative agreements of the heads of these schools to act as judges during the tasks ahead. It should be a load of fun." _

_A second change in the rules was also announced, limiting the champions competing to only those above the age of seventeen. Mister Bartemius Crouch, England's head of International Magical Cooperation, was reported to have said, "All the Ministry offices of these three countries have worked very hard during the summer to ensure no champion finds himself or herself in any real danger."_

_The representatives of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive at Hogwarts with a small group of potential champions from their schools over the Halloween holiday in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place with the help of an impartial judge, who has yet to be announced. It was also learned that the winner of The Triwizard Cup would collect much more than the glory of their fellow countrymen and their school. A prize of one thousand galleons has been set-aside for the winner of the cup. Most of the schools throughout the Wizarding world are currently making arrangements to have these Triwizard tasks magically sent to them, so that everybody can witness this most rare and exciting event." _

Stephan lowered the paper. "Wow, can you imagine competing at that level, representing your school and your country. It's amazing."

"So we're going to see these events take place?" asked Gwen.

"Yeah, I think so. Everybody's talking about it. Somebody heard Professor Titan say we're going to get the action projected directly into one of the stadiums outside."

"So why is England hosting this tournament? Castlewood is a large school, I'm sure some of our seniors would do well in a competition like that," said Anna, thinking about Eric's prowess as a wizard.

"Well… I think it's tradition, really. The Triwizard Tournament started over there, so I guess it makes sense that they would be the first to get it going again," explained Stephan. "Anyway, it's going to be exciting to watch; something besides Vollucross and Swift Slalom to look forward to during the cold winter days, huh?"

Anna yawned. "Yeah, I suppose so. Whelp, I'd better hit the books. Come on Gabs, I'll show you our room."

"Ah, Gwen. I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk." Stephan said, somewhat nervously. "It's still a clear night, and my favorite ice cream shop is only ten minutes outside the bridge in town. Whatdaya say?"

"Sure!" Gwen said, glancing over at Anna with a scarcely-controlled glee of satisfaction.

"I thought you said you had a ton of homework to do," Anna said, teasingly.

"Oh, that can wait. I'm ready to go if you are," Gwen said, latching onto Stephan's arm. She leaned over and whispered to Anna, "What can I say? The guy likes ice cream… I think I'm in love!" She shrugged as if her actions were totally beyond her control and then marched off.

Anna laughed, "Have a good time, you two." And she watched Gwen wave as the two of them walked arm in arm out of the tower.

"She'll never change," Anna said, shaking her head and looking at Sarah. "She's boy crazy, that one."

TWO

Later that night, as Anna lay in bed, she took inventory of her day. She tried to remain awake, hoping beyond lowly-set expectations that Sarah might say something in her sleep about the castle where Anna believed the evil one was living. _If Pearl and Mister Kingston didn't know about it, I wonder how difficult it would be to find anything about the place myself? Strange… a castle kept secret to all around it, sitting in the deepest part of the Shadowed Forest._

She lay there thinking, listening to Gabby's snores emanating from the top most dresser drawer where she slept. And then an idea occurred to her, and Anna sat bolt upright as the details of a plan began to quickly form in her mind. She got out of bed, opened her bag and took out some parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. She quietly crept into the living room and turned up a lamp above one of the end tables before sitting to think.

_If I were to write a letter to the black castle and give it to Hobbs to deliver, then one of two things would happen: Hobbs might return with the letter, having been unable to deliver it, which would leave me exactly where I am now, or… Hobbs might return without the letter or, better yet, a response._ _This would at least prove that the place does exist and somebody was actually living there. _

She considered her moves carefully. _The note should be made to sound as innocuous as possible._ She dipped her quill into her inkwell and began to write. After several attempts, she finally finished, and held the parchment up to the light and read:

_To whom it may concern. _

_It has recently come to our attention that your place of residence exists within the Shadowed Forest of Pennsylvania. We are writing this enquiry to understand who is living there, and to ascertain the building's purpose. Please use the delivery owl to send back your reply. _

Anna stopped. She wouldn't sign it, of course. Judging by Doctor Pearl's reaction to her saying she saw the place, she felt that might be asking for trouble. She decided to end the letter with a simple: _Sincerely, A Friend._

_There,_ she thought gratifyingly; _that was adequate._ _Short and anonymous was the proper idea._ She folded the note, stood, and walked over to Hobb's cage who screeched angrily at being rattled.

"Shhhh! You'll wake Sarah up. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. If you fly over the mountains north of here, and into the Shadowed Forest, you'll find a black castle sitting in the middle of a lake. I need you to deliver this to anybody you see there, and… you might wait to get a letter in return."

Hobbs stared at her disbelievingly, and Anna rolled her eyes.

"The castle is there — I saw it myself!" she said, in a loud whisper. The owl turned his head upside-down to look at her, as if to ask if this trip was really necessary. "Yes it is… you'll just have to trust me on this, Hobbs. The castle is there and it's very important that I know what the place is used for. Please, will you take the letter… or should I go to the castle owlry?"

Hobbs ruffled his feathers reproachfully, and then hopped up on Anna's arm. She tied the note to his leg and walked him over to the window. She slid the pane up and extended her arm into the humid, night air.

"Be careful, okay? Don't take any risks. If you think it's too dangerous, then come back straight away, all right?" The owl gave an agreeable hoot, spread his wings, and leapt into the darkness. "Good luck," she said, hopefully, and she watched him turn a complete circle over the twinkling lights of the city below before flying north and out of sight.

264


	23. Duck!

Chapter 23d25 — Duck!

Chapter 23

Duck!

ONE

Anna had fallen asleep on her windowsill, waiting for Hobbs to return. The last thing she remembered thinking before dozing off was wondering if she might have put her owl in harm's way by sending him off with her message into the Shadowed Forest. She would have slept in that spot all night if not for her owl's quick return three hours later. It was still dark as he swooped over Anna's head through the window and landed on her bed with a soft thump. His loud screeching made Anna jump with a start, banging her head against the window's top sash.

"Ouch!"

"What did I say?" Sarah blurted out, bolting upright from a dead sleep in her bed.

"Sorry, Sarah. It wasn't you. It was Hobbs. _Shush!_ You'll wake up the whole floor," Anna said angrily, scowling at the bird as she rubbed the top of her sore head. "What's the matter with you?"

Then, as the fog of her clouded mind started to clear, she remembered what she had sent Hobbs to do and could see why he was so excited. The letter she had given to him to deliver was gone and he was clutching something new in his fisted talon.

"What is that you have there?"

The bird screeched again and then hopped over to Anna's lap to raise a clawed foot. Anna took what looked like a piece of cloth and raised it up to the moonlight, turning it around several times to see what was written on it.

"What is this?"

Anna got up and ran into the living room. She turned up the lamps with Sarah struggling with her bathrobe as she followed close behind.

"What is it, Anna?"

"I don't know; something Hobbs brought back." Anna laid the cloth out flat on the table and then moved the lamp in closer to see. "It looks like… part of a flag or some kind of banner."

Sarah looked confused. "Now where would he have gotten that?"

Anna looked at Hobbs who had flapped over to their table, still screeching and hooting with excitement.

"Hobbs — were you able to deliver my letter? Did you see the castle?" The owl was clicking his beak and bobbing his head up and down, circling obsessively. "Did somebody take the letter from you?" The owl wiggled his tail and continued to bob excitedly.

"I think he's saying yes," said Sarah with a little chortle. "Where did he go?"

Anna told her about the letter she had sent to the black castle earlier that night. Sarah's mind seemed to be stuck between gears, highly impressed with Anna's ingenious plan and its swift results.

"Is… it possible Hobbs might have taken the flag from the castle, then?" Sarah wondered aloud.

Anna thought about her ride on Swooper. "Now that I think about it — yes, that must be it! I do remember seeing black flags waving on the castle's highest turrets. Hobbs must have delivered the letter and then took the banner on the way back as proof that the place does exist."

"Wow — now that's one smart bird." Sarah said, smiling appreciably. She reached out to stroke Hobbs' back. "So, what's on the banner?" The girls looked down to study the cloth again. It was ripped diagonally, leaving only half of its tattered remnants remaining, but they could plainly see a coat of arms in its center with a shield, a red cross, and two wands crossed in the middle. There were the letters S-T-period, D-R-O above the tear, and then T-O C-U-R below the shield.

"It looks like it says, Saint Dro… something," Anna observed, smoothing out the words.

"Yes… and that looks like some kind of medical crest," Sarah added, pointing at the shield and the cross. "It looks a lot like the medical emblems some of the winter rescuers wear on our ski hill."

"But those are crossed wands in the front. So maybe it means it's a medial facility or a hospital for wizards." Sarah was nodding as Anna sat to rub the bump on the top of her head once more. "But why would they keep the place a secret? If it were a hospital, why wouldn't everybody know about it? I mean… every hospital you see in the Muggle world has signs all over the place, pointing the way to the front door. Why wouldn't Doctor Pearl know a hospital was out there? I don't get it."

Sarah sat down on the couch. "And why would they put it in the middle of the Shadowed Forest? It's almost like they're going out of their way to hide the place."

"Yeah…" Anna said, leaning back in her chair. "It doesn't make any sense, does it? The mirror said the evil one was in a prison of its own making. So, assuming that's where it is… what is this place, a prison or a hospital?" The girls sat quietly considering all they knew. Hobbs was still hooting with delight at the success of his important mission, while Sarah stroked his back unconsciously in thought.

"Maybe…" Sarah said, looking up at Anna, "it's both."

TWO

"So… how long were you and Stephan out last night?"

It was morning and Anna was sitting down across from Gwen at breakfast.

"You get any homework done?" Anna asked, smiling inquiringly at her friend.

"Nope, not a bit!" Gwen answered complacently, spooning a liberal amount of jam onto her toast. "We had our ice-cream and then went for a nice long walk in the city. We barely made it back before curfew."

"And?"

Gwen looked up. "And… what?"

"Well… did anything… you know… happen?"

Gwen smiled. "Nah… we just walked," she said, stuffing her mouth with her toast.

"So… what do you think of him? He seems nice," Anna asked, pryingly.

"Yeah, he is."

Anna recognized Gwen's hesitancy. She had seen it many times before.

"But?"

Gwen stopped chewing, smiled, and then shrugged. "But I'm not sure it's going to work out."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. Not enough… he's just too… serious… maybe. No, that's not it. Oh — I don't know what to say about him."

"Well, he's in the Defenders' Union. That must say something about him, doesn't it?"

Gwen frowned. "What do you think that says about him?"

"Uh…" Anna thought for a moment, "mind you, the only people I know that came from that Union are my father and Damon, so that doesn't exactly make me an expert. I guess the question is — what do all the Defenders have in common?" Anna twisted her bottom lip as she thought. She finally looked up and tried to summarize her assessment. "I would say both Damon and my father… are very driven people."

Gwen frowned. "What does that mean… driven?"

"It's hard to explain, but we did study different personalities in my Muggle sociology class last year. Putting the ability to show simple human respect aside, because Damon doesn't have any respect for anybody, I would say they are very task-oriented."

"As opposed to…?"

"As opposed to… say… being people-oriented. And they're not very reserved in the way they get things done."

Gwen smiled, "Yes… I think that's how I would describe Stephan as well. He's very ambitious and seems to have his whole life planned out. He wants to work in the Ministry like his father."

Anna laughed. "Yep… that's Damon all right." She looked at Gwen who still looked uneasy. "Well, ambition isn't a bad thing, is it?"

"Oh, no — I'm not saying it is, but Stephen is our age. Do you know what you want to do when you leave Castlewood?"

"Hardly," Anna said, rolling her eyes. She reached over to take a bite of Gwen's toast. "But I have an excuse. I just got here, remember?"

"Exactly! You see?" Gwen continued. "Who do we know that can say what they want to be right now? Nobody. So how can Stephan know what he wants already? Who's got their life all planned out like that? It's a bit strange, isn't it?"

"Not at all. Some would say Stephan's lucky to really know what he wants so early. It gives him an edge over everybody else, because he can work on his goals now. It's that drive that probably explains why he's in the Defenders' Union."

"Yeah, maybe. It's just a bit scary being around somebody like that, you know? I feel like I don't know anything about myself. Here he is, going on and on about his plans and what he's going to do next year, and the year after that, and I'm standing there, trying to remember what classes I have in the morning. It made me feel like… I was a kid, listening to somebody who… oh — I don't know… has his act together."

"You're not a kid — you're just different."

"Different? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your personality is different from Stephan's, that's all. It doesn't mean Stephan is a better person than you. It just means you're wired differently than he is."

Gwen laughed. "Some might say I have a loose wire."

"Well, there is that," Anna giggled, and then reached across the table to spoon some of Gwen's scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"No, I mean the strengths in your personalities are different. Actually, I see you and Stephan sharing similar qualities as well. For example, you're both fairly outgoing. But if Stephan does have a driving personality, it probably just means he's a little more task-oriented, whereas you're more of a people-person. One isn't better than the other, it's just who you are. You never know, somebody like Stephan might be exactly what you need. He might help you understand what you want to do with yourself."

Gwen twitched a smirk. "Yeah… maybe. He's cute though, don't you think?"

Anna settled back, "I guess he's got a certain appeal, so long as you can keep him off a flying horse, that is," she said, trying to sound uncaring. They both laughed, but a strange and unexpected feeling began to creep over Anna, which she thought she recognized almost immediately. Was it a hidden sense of jealousy?

"So… did Sarah predict the winner of the Triwizard Cup last night?" Gwen continued.

"Nope. Not a peep out of little Miss Bell. But I did learn something fairly important this morning."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"I was able to prove that black castle I saw in the forest does exist." Gwen was right in the middle of swallowing the last of her orange juice when she almost choked.

"What?" she said, through her wheezing coughs. "What, _cough_, did you do?"

Anna leaned in to whisper. "I sent Hobbs to the castle last night with a note," she said, reaching over to steal Gwen's last piece of bacon before leaning back to smile.

"You didn't! Really? What happened?"

"He actually delivered it to somebody."

"Really? Who?"

"No idea — they didn't write back. But Hobbs brought me back a souvenir to show me he had definitely been there."

Gwen's excitement was growing steadily. "What? What did he bring?"

"A piece of a flag — look." Anna cautiously looked around at the tables surrounding them, and then pulled the black banner out of her pocket. She carefully unfolded it on the table between them.

"Wow! Your owl brought this back from the castle? Amazing!"

"Yeah, I'm going to do some research in the library tonight to see if I can find anything about the place. And I'm going to send Hobbs out this evening with another letter."

Gwen's face quickly turned from excitement to worried concern. She glanced around them again before leaning over to whisper back. "Anna, are you sure you want to do that? I mean… you saw how Doctor Pearl reacted when you mentioned the castle. I get the feeling you could find yourself in a lot of trouble if you're caught looking around for information about this place."

"I don't see how. I'm not signing the letters, just looking for a reply. You know… trying to find a name or what the place might be used for; that's all. It's not like I'm planning to visit the place for tea.

THREE

Over the next several days, Anna, Sarah, and Gwen began searching the school library between classes and in the evenings, looking for information about the castle within the Shadowed Forest. Gwen even got Stephan Durkin to help them with the story that Anna was looking for information for her father. Nobody, however, had had any luck. They searched various books on hospitals and prisons, Ministry buildings, and even some rather secretive societies of the past, but still, nothing could be found.

Anna continued to write her anonymous letters to the castle, but night after night, Hobbs returned without any response. That is until one evening at dinner a week later. Anna had started writing her letters at lunch, hoping that, if Hobbs came back with any new information, she would be able to see the reply before they all went to bed. Hobbs flew through an open window into the Rotunda and glided down onto Anna's shoulder while Gwen and Sarah looked on.

"Anna, your owl has something tied to his leg!" said Sarah, excitedly.

Looking surprised, Anna untied the note from Hobb's foot and unrolled the small piece of parchment. "Oh," she sighed, "it's only the letter I sent earlier today." She sadly looked up. "I guess Hobbs couldn't deliver it this time."

Anna's enthusiasm was fading. Their failure to find any information on the castle after so many days of searching had lead her to believe Hobbs wasn't delivering the letters to anyone after all. Maybe he was simply dropping them over the castle somewhere, and the building, in reality, was just an abandoned relic long forgotten by everybody living on the plateau.

Anna dropped the letter onto her empty dinner plate and sat back. "This is a waste of time," she sighed, miserably. But to everybody's surprise, Hobbs was hooting obsessively and seemed even more excited than his first trip back from the castle. He was screeching loudly and reaching over to peck at the letter with his beak.

"What's the matter with you?" Anna said, trying to wave the bird away from her plate. The owl picked up the note again and dropped it into Anna's lap.

"He certainly is making a fuss about an undelivered letter," Gwen observed, taking another bite of her steak. Anna picked up the letter and looked at it again. She turned it over and her jaw dropped.

"What is it, Anna," asked Sarah, sitting her fork down. Anna looked around worriedly, and then showed them the back of the note. Written in bold letters and different colored ink were three words:

WHO ARE YOU?

"Oh… my… God," said Gwen, in a slow whisper. "Somebody is living there!"

Anna looked up excitedly. "I told you, didn't I?"

"But now what? What are you going to do? You're not actually gonna give them your name are you?"

Anna thought. "No — I'm not ready for that yet, but I have been thinking a lot about this possibility over the last few days. What if I told them I'm a reporter from one of the local newspapers, looking to write a story about them? You know… a dark castle nobody wants to talk about in the middle in the Shadowed Forest? Any reporter would be interested in that, right?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. Then you won't have to give them your name, but you can keep asking questions," Gwen said, agreeably.

Anna nodded. "I'll write another letter tonight. Maybe by tomorrow —"

"Funny time of night to receive an owl, Anna," came a familiar voice behind her. It was her sister, Dowla. Anna quickly wadded up the letter and stuffed it into her pocket. "What is it? You having Widwick forward your Muggle mail or something?" Dowla teased.

"Yeah, that's right Dowla. I've got to keep all my Muggle friends up to speed on how I'm doing here at Castlewood," Anna replied, rolling her eyes without bothering to look back. Then a sinister grin replaced Anna's hard expression as she turned to look up at her sister.

"By the way, I meant to ask, did you and Tencha decide on a sport yet?" Anna's eyes darted over at Gwen and Sarah, and an eager smile began to form on her face.

"No, not yet," Dowla sighed, sitting down next to them. "That stupid Nancy Dodimayer turned down our Blazing Gin idea again. Said it wasn't _active_ enough to qualify as a sport — as if." Anna struggled to hold in a laugh before turning a serious face toward her sister again.

"You know, I've been thinking about your problem and I believe I have an answer for you." Anna let these words settle a few seconds before continuing. "But — well — never mind. You wouldn't be interested."

"What is it?" Dowla looked at Anna curiously. "Listen, I'm desperate here — I'll take anything at this point. Otherwise… they're going to assign us something we'll have to do on a broom. What were you thinking about, and why wouldn't you think I'd be interested?"

Anna grinned. "Well… because it's kind of a Muggle game." She saw Dowla recoil slightly. "But it's very active and easy to do," Anna added hurriedly.

Dowla leaned in as if she was being passed an important secret. "Okay… so — what is it?"

"It's called… hopscotch," Anna replied with an innocent little smile. Sarah started to snicker, but only Gwen seemed to notice.

"Hopscotch?" Dowla said keenly. "What's that?"

"It's simple, really. You draw a number of squares on the pavement, and then you have to hop in and out without touching the lines. It's quite easy, but it'll give you a really good work-out."

Sarah was now covering her face with her napkin, trying not to burst out laughing. Gwen could clearly see the joke was on but, like Dowla, she was clueless as to what Anna was doing.

"And there's no flying involved?" Dowla asked, hopefully.

"Nope! Well — unless you count jumping from one foot to the other as flying."

"Great. Why don't you write down the rules for me and I'll try submitting them to Dodimayer tomorrow."

Anna smiled wickedly. "Tell you what... I'll make you a deal. I'm working on a class project to identify old ruins, but there's one I can't figure out. I've looked in the school library, but I understand the Searchers' library is much better on certain subjects. If you'll agree to help me find some information on this place, I'll have your hopscotch rules ready for you by tomorrow. What do you say?"

Dowla's eyes narrowed. "This isn't some stupid Muggle place you're looking for is it?"

"Of course not. Why would I have you looking for a Muggle building in the Searcher library?"

Dowla looked skeptical, but, "All right then, it's a deal. Tell me what you know about this place you're looking for?"

Anna described the clues they had without telling her sister about the black castle or anything about the evil one she suspected was inside. Anna didn't tell her the castle's location, nor did she show her the tattered banner. She knew that would take too much explaining. After Anna finished describing the look of the crest, Dowla got to her feet.

"All right, I'll expect that hopscotch recipe tomorrow then," she said determinedly, before turning to leave. When Dowla was out of site, Sarah took the time to explain to Gwen that, while hopscotch was a fairly active game, Anna had conveniently left out the fact it was something generally reserved for Muggles under the age of eight.

Gwen howled. "Anna, sometimes I think you can be as evil as your brother Damon."

"Hey… I didn't call her over here and tell her to give me a hard time, did I? As clumsy as my sisters are, even hopscotch will be a stretch for them. Trust me; I'm doing them a favor here."

As the twilight of evening approached, Anna drafted another letter to the black castle and sent Hobbs off to deliver it. She was getting pretty good at keeping the letters anonymous enough to make her enquiries sound official without giving up who she really was. As she watched Hobbs fly over the city and then turn toward the north once more, Anna rested her head on the window edge to think.

_So… somebody was living at the castle after all. Who was it, and who finally took the time to write a response? And why didn't they answer my questions?_

Only one answer made any sense. Whoever was there was following the same pattern as everyone else living on the plateau. They were refusing to give any information out about the place. Anna felt as nervous this night as her first night at Castlewood. Although the response from the black castle was short, those three words told her a lot. How much more would she learn by keeping this up? Anna thought carefully about the risks. In her mind the danger seemed fairly minimal. Nobody knew who she was, or the real reason she was writing. Nobody knew where her owl was coming from, or who owned him. She was safe. She could keep this up indefinitely if she had to without the worry of being discovered. Little did she know, however, deep inside the black castle, a plan was being devised to locate the individual sending the unsigned letters, and Anna would soon learn the price she would have pay for being too curious about the mysteries within the Shadowed Forest.

FOUR

Anna was awakened early the next morning by a soft breeze, billowing the curtains in the window next to her bed. As the sheer fluttered gently across her face, she opened her eyes and squinted into a cloudless blue sky. She rolled over. It was still early, and she could see Sarah's tiny body rolled into a ball under her blankets across the room. Anna sat up in her four-poster, still dressed in her clothes from the night before. She quickly glanced over to Hobb's cage. It sat empty in the darkened corner. He hadn't returned from his evening's journey.

_Strange — what was taking him so long? It usually only took him a few hours to make the trip into the forests to the north. Where was he?_

Anna stuck her head out the window to search the morning sky, and then down at the ground and the ledges around her. The city was alive with the hustle of its many residents, opening the shops and starting their daily errands. The morning dew still lay glistening and wet on the shadowed rooftops below.

Anna pushed back onto her bed and thought. _He might have gone hunting after delivering the letter. Yes — that had to be it._ She gave no specific orders to return right away. Anna made a mental note: Next time, she would make her wishes for a quick return more clear. She got up and headed for the bathroom.

Within seconds, however, she heard something that turned her attention back to the open window again. She listened carefully, staring out at the blue sky beyond the window's frame. She could hear what sounded like distant screeching, and it was getting louder. The sound was terrible, a shriek filled with fright and pain, and Anna now recognized the high-pitched cry piercing the morning air.

"Hobbs?"

She made a step toward the window when, suddenly, there was a WHOSH through its opening. Hobb's terrible screeching was now magnified a hundred fold as he hit the bed and rolled several times before settling onto his back, his talons curled painfully into the air. Yellow smoke was rising off his body.

"HOBBS! What happened?"

For a second time that week, Sarah bolted upright in her bed. "What's going on?" she yelled, over the continuing screams of Anna's owl. Anna ran over and gently picked up the bird, cradling him like a baby as she sat to inspect his body.

"Oh my God — Hobbs. What… who… did this to you?" Anna whispered, mournfully.

She pulled one of his wings straight and could see his feathers were burned and black where they should have been silky gray. His tail was scorched and smoking and Anna could still see tiny orange flecks of singe on their blackened edges. Anna started to cry, hugging her owl close to her chest and rocking back and forth.

"Oh God — no! This is my fault. All my fault."

Sarah sat next to her on the bed. "What happened to him?"

"Somebody tried to kill him — look!" Anna opened her arms to show her roommate the owl. Sarah gasped. "Look at him!" Anna sobbed as she lifted one of Hobb's blackened talons, which was curled excruciatingly into a balled fist. The owl screamed at Anna's touch. "I'm sorry — I'm sooo sorry," she said, releasing the bird's foot. His beak quivered as his screeches of pain slowly died away.

"Why would anybody do this to an owl?" Sarah moaned blankly, as a shadow suddenly fell into the room.

Anna seethed in rage. "I'm going to kill whoever did this to you, Hobbs. I swear I'm gong to…"

"Anna, look!"

Anna glared at Sarah who she could see was pointing to the open window behind them. She looked around and saw a man standing there looking in. Anna leaped to her feet and stared at the unknown man glaring in their window, his shoulders and head framed like a portrait against the wall next to her bed.

"What are you doing there? What do you want?" Anna yelled, turning to the side as if to protect her owl from the strange intruder. The man said nothing, but stared angrily into their room, the light of the day totally blocked out by his massive silhouette.

Sarah was hiding behind her roommate. "Who is it, Anna?" she trembled, peeking around to look.

"I don't know. Go into the hall and find somebody to…" but no sooner was Anna about to send Sarah for help, when the man slowly started to back away. Finally, Anna could see he was floating on a flying door, and that wasn't all.

"It's… a Crimson Guard!"

Sure enough, Anna and Sarah could now see the man's billowing, scarlet robes whipping in the morning breeze, a smoking wand in his lowered hand by his side. Anna's fright instantly turned to anger as she leaped forward to the open window.

"Did you attack my owl? Did you do this? You did — didn't you! Why… you… stinking coward!" Anna screamed at the guard, now floating twenty feet out of her reach. Suddenly, two more Crimson Guards flew in from the left and right, standing on their doors, and then a fourth on a boom fell into view to hover outside their window as well.

"You… there in the window! Stay where you are! Do not leave your room," yelled one of the guards back at Anna.

"Anna… I think we're in trouble," Sarah said, looking under Anna's arm. "They look very angry."

"Report to the inner guard," yelled the man to the other on the broom. "Tell them they're in the Server Hall, fourth floor, first room on the city side."

"Yes, sir," said the other guard, before quickly turning to zoom off.

"What's going on, Anna? What are they going to do?"

Anna stepped back from the window still cradling her owl. "I don't know," she replied angrily. "But they're going to pay for this; attacking a defenseless animal this way. I'm going to make them sorry they ever did this," Anna seethed, gritting her teeth through her falling tears and looking down at Hobbs who now looked lifeless in her open arms. The sight sickened her, and she shut her eyes tight as her whole body trembled with loathing and revulsion.

Suddenly, images were bursting forth in her brain. Unknown places and creatures she had never seen or knew before were taking shape in a whir of color flashing past her. Finally, two familiar eyes, old and gray, slowly stopped to stare at her. Although she couldn't see his face, she could hear his far off voice speak.

"_Protect that which is magical,"_ he whispered. _"This is your cause, Sithmaith."_

Anna's insides were writhing with maddening disgust, and she could feel a cold wave of consciousness trying to burst forth from her chest. Clouds of thick smoke began to block her vision, and she could see the blackness of the Lethifold oozing out of the pores in her arms. Crying angrily, she tried to regain her composure.

"No — not now. I can't — I have to stay in control," Anna blistered angrily, dropping to her knees and shutting her eyes tight to focus her concentration down inside. "Can't let it take over — must — stay in control!" she moaned, forcing the inky coldness back down with all her strength.

"Anna! What's happening to you?" Sarah yelled, standing over her. "Oh my God, Anna. Are you all right?"

Sarah watched in horror as thick clouds of icy, cold smoke started billowing into the space around Anna's body, like a fog filling the gap between them. The smoke lifted into the air and then curled down and around Anna's body like a shroud. Sarah tried to reach out, but then yanked her hand back in terror as the smoke stretched itself out like an appendage to snatch at her.

"I'm going to call for help?" Sarah yelped, as she turned to leave.

"No!" Anna yelled back, lifting her head to glare up at Sarah from the floor. Sarah recoiled in shock. The whites of Anna's eyes were completely black, and the smoke was now creeping out of her sockets like thousands of tiny spiders running up her face. "I just — need — time to — regain my — control," Anna sobbed, shutting her eyes tight again.

Sarah hesitated for a moment and then ran to the bathroom. She placed a washcloth under the faucet, wringed out the water, and then quickly dashed back. She dropped to her knees in front of Anna, took a deep breath, and then pushed the cloth through the smoke where she thought Anna's face should be. It was like sticking her hand into a bucket of ice.

Anna felt the rag probing at her face and the coolness of the water seemed to pull her focus away from Hobbs for an instant, but it was enough. Sarah watched, transfixed, as the smoke seemed to slow, and then invert itself to retreat. It was like watching an explosion take place in reverse, as the blackness was sucked into Anna's body from every direction.

As the smoke finally cleared, Anna's vision began to return and she slowly stood to sit on the edge of her bed again. She was still sobbing. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What happened to you?" Sarah asked, still on her knees below her, but Anna didn't reply. She could here them coming now, the thudding cadence of several guards marching up the hallway toward their room.

_Boom-Boom-Boom!_ They were now punching rapidly at the door.

"Open up in there. This is the Crimson Guard. Open this door!"

_Boom-Boom-Boom!_

The girls didn't move.

"Open the door, Sarah. It's all right. I'm okay now. Go ahead and let them in."

Sarah got to her feet and quickly unlocked the door and swung it open. She found five guards standing outside. One of them pushed Sarah aside to step in.

"You!" he bellowed, pointing at Anna. "You will come with us, now!"

Anna looked up, her anger still writhing. "Why did you do this to him?" she said, looking down at her owl again.

"Get up!" the guard barked back as he stepped past her to look out the window. "We have them," he said, waving outside.

"Good! Take her to the captain's office immediately," a voice yelled back.

"Yes, sir." The guard turned to face Anna again. "On your feet!" Anna stood and followed the guards out the door.

"Where are you taking her," Sarah asked them in alarm as she tried to follow.

"You will stay here until you have been questioned. Do you understand?" shouted one of the guards back to her.

"But… what about my classes?"

The door was yanked shut, and Sarah could hear a muffled voice on the other side say, "Guard this door. Nobody in or out without my permission."

"Yes, sir."

Anna followed the Crimson Guard down the steps and into the main Server Hall, occasionally taking a shove in the back to keep pace. Several students slowly stood to watch the procession pass, but Anna never looked up. All of her attention was now on Hobbs. The owl looked terribly weak and near death. Finally, one student stepped in front of the crowd of guards surrounding Anna. It was Karen Scott, the Server Knight she had met earlier.

"Wait — hold on, there. Where are you taking this student?" she said, assertively. The guards did not reply and marched straight past her. "I said — wait!" Karen yelled. They did not. The Knight ran to catch up to the leader, having to jog next to him to keep pace. "I asked you a question. Where are you taking our student? You don't have the right to come into the Hall without a Knight's permission."

"You are a Server Knight. This student is not in the Server Union. Your permission was not required," the guard growled back, as they continued to march toward the exit.

"Then you should have asked for my permission!"

It was Eric. He had just entered the Server Hall in front of the guards in time to hear Karen's voice. He looked confused, but immediately saw Anna was in serious trouble. "I am a Guardian Knight. You will stop now and explain this." The guards finally halted.

"Guardian… we have been commanded by our captain to detain this student for questioning in a matter of school security. Normally, we would have asked for your permission, as you well should expect, but the Captain of the Guard has final authority in all matters of security. You'll have to take this matter up with him."

"What has she done? What _security matters_ are you talking about?"

"I am not at liberty to explain, Guardian Knight. Please contact the Student President, and have her speak to Captain Dunning," replied the guard, who then stepped forward to pass him.

Eric quickly moved to block his way again. "This also happens to be my sister you're marching off with. You're not taking her anywhere!"

The guard hesitated. "I understand your concern, but I have my orders. Now, step aside," he said, bluntly, "or I'll have you removed."

Eric stepped up into the guard's face. "Just try it, and I'll call on every student in this hall to block your way. Do you understand me? I will not allow you to come in here and…"

"Eric," Anna interrupted. "Let me go. It's okay. I'll explain all of this later. I need you to take care of Hobbs for me," she said, reaching out to hand her brother the owl.

"My God, Anna. What happened to him?"

"Please… just help him. I'll be back as soon as I can." Eric took the bird and stepped aside to watch the guards escort Anna out of the hall.

"What the hell is going on?" Eric said angrily, as he set the bird down on an adjacent table to inspect his injuries.

Anna followed the marching guards through several corridors and finally to a hallway she had never seen before. They stopped at a metal door and the guard leading them lifted an iron ring hanging there. The clanging from his knock echoed down the hallway around them.

"Enter!" came a voice from inside. The guard opened the door.

"We have the, uh… student, sir."

"Good, thank you. That will be all." The guard pointed Anna into the room and then closed the door behind her as he left.

Captain Dunning was working at his desk, writing on a scroll of parchment. "Sit!" he said, without bothering to look up.

Anna sat in an oak chair closest to the door; her anger was writhing inside to the point of bursting once again. Her eyes quickly scanned the room around her. There were several portraits on the walls, previous Captains of Castlewood, and Anna noticed they all seemed quite a bit older than Dunning. She looked at his desk and her eyes immediately fell upon a Quidditch bludger-club, sitting on a display mount. Her mind was blind with rage. _Yes_, she thought wildly, envisioning Dunning's head as a budger and herself as a Quidditch beater. The captain finished what he was writing and then finally looked up.

"Anna Grayson?" he said, sounding somewhat surprised. Then he sat back and sighed. "I should have known. Who else would it have been? Tell me, Grayson, is trouble going to follow you here at the school everyday?"

Anna didn't answer. She grit her teeth, trying to hold in her last bit of resolve not to explode. The captain stared at her.

"Nothing to say? Now that isn't like any Grayson I've ever known?"

He stood to gather a pile of papers on his desk. He walked over to her and dropped the parchment onto her lap. They were the letters she had written to the black castle. Anna's mind was swimming. _How could he have gotten her letters? _

"Is this your scribble, Grayson?" he asked, walking over to his desk and turning to sit upon its corner. Anna remained silent. "Why have you been sending your owl into the Shadowed Forest with those letters?" he asked angrily.

"I didn't realize our letters going out of the school were being inspected by the guard," Anna replied heatedly. "Are all the students lucky enough to have their mail censored, or is it just me?"

Dunning smiled. "You didn't answer my question. Are those your letters?"

"Yes."

"Ah, finally, a straight answer. Couldn't have imagined seeing this kind of progress so early in the day — excellent. Now then, why have you been sending them into the forest? Didn't I warn you along with all the other new students arriving here at the school about the dangers within the forest?"

"It wasn't the forest that tried to kill my owl," Anna snarled back. "That was your doing. You did that."

"Your owl? Has he been injured? Hmm, I had no idea," Dunning replied, smiling maliciously. "My guards were simply told to follow the bird back to ascertain who was sending the letters."

Anna was slowly rising to her feet, her body shaking with fury. Growling under her breath, she stumbled and lurched slightly as she made her way toward the captain as his voice continued to buzz menacingly in her ears.

"It was not my intension to have the bird…"

_SMACK! _

Anna slapped Dunning hard across the face. Dunning's head whipped back around to face her, his expression a mixture of surprise and shock. Anna was already waiting. Quick as a flash, she grabbed the bludger-club from his desk and was halfway into her swing by the time Dunning's eyes had refocused upon her.

_CRACK! _

Anna smashed him on the side of the head with the small wooden bat. The blow spun the man around, knocking him off his desk and onto the floor. Before Dunning knew what was happening, Anna was over him, punching and kicking every part of his body she knew would hurt.

"YOU filthy, disgusting…. PIG!" she yelled, kicking him hard in the side. She heard one of his ribs snap from the blow. "I'll kill you! You dirty, murdering scum! I'll kill you! AAAAAH!" she shrieked, as she lifted her foot to stomp down on him.

The captain quickly rolled to his side and used one leg to sweep Anna off her feet. She crashed to the floor with a loud _BANG_ onto her back. Immediately, the doors of the office flew open and two Crimson Guards quickly dashed in. They grabbed Anna by her arms and lifted her up off the floor.

"You're dead, you son of a…" Anna screamed, as she stretched herself out to kick at the captain again.

The guards dragged Anna back to the chair and threw her into it hard. Anna's neck snapped back, her head slamming against the wall behind her. Dunning was on his feet again and moving angrily toward her. She tried to rise to meet him, but he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her head back against the wall while his two guards held her arms down. The blow sent white-hot stars shooting through her brain again.

"You've just given me all the reason I need to expel you from his school, young lady," Dunning growled, squeezing her windpipe closed.

Anna could see the captain's blood trickling down the side of his head; she wanted more. She was seething in rage and spat into his face. Dunning released her as he recoiled in disgust, wiping his eyes.

"Why you little…" he clinched his fist and raised it to strike. Anna, helpless and pinned, turned away and closed her eyes. She readied herself for the blow, but it never came. She slowly opened her eyes to find the captain walking away from her, clutching his side. He pulled his chair over to the side of his desk and slowly lowered himself down, wincing with pain as he sat.

"Let her go — and get out," he said angrily, waving the two guards away. The men, looking somewhat shocked by his orders, slowly released Anna's arms. They stood there for a few seconds to insure she wasn't going to rise again and then immediately left the room.

"Well… this is a first," Dunning groaned, breathing heavily and grimacing at the sharp twinge of pain in his side. "I can't say as I've ever had a student attack me before."

"You deserved it… you pig!"

Dunning frowned and then whispered, "You know, Grayson… that mouth of yours is worse than your temper. Where did you learn such language, at that Muggle school of yours?"

"Comes with the territory," Anna said, feeling the large lump now rising off the back of her head. "Growing up as a squib teaches you things."

"Hmm… yes, I suppose it would." Dunning screwed up his face as he wiped the side of his head. Looking at the blood on his hand, his eyes slowly narrowed to glare at her. "I can't stand you, Grayson. You know that? But it's not just you; it's your whole damn family. Look at you. About to be expelled for attacking the Captain of the Crimson Guard in your first month at school. You must be proud."

"You think too much of yourself. It wasn't an honor smacking you around; it was all pleasure."

"Is that right? There… you see? That's just what I'm talking about — no respect. None of the Graysons have it. Can't you see I have a position here at the school of great importance? Can't you see that position should guarantee a minimum level of respect, regardless of your personal feelings toward me? Your family struts around this school like you own the place, using your money and influence to get and take what you want, without regard to those who have to earn the simplest things to survive. You disgust me; all of you."

"You don't know anything about my family. All you know is what you see at this school. If I had to judge by what I see in you and that sister of yours, I'd condemn your entire family to the tortures of hell."

"You self-righteous little…" Dunning sneered, his voice rising. "I've seen how your brothers and sisters treat each other. I know much more about _your_ family than you might think. In fact, in some areas, I believe I know more than you. All of this family honor hogwash is just that. You don't respect one another, why should I expect you to care about anybody else? You're all a bunch of hypocrites… lunatics all."

Anna seethed. "Go drown yourself, you pompous ass."

Both of them sat staring at each other, wanting to say much more than what had already been said. Matching his every blink, Anna fumed and snarled. She knew the damage was done; she was gone — out of Castlewood — disgraced. But she wasn't going to give any ground now. She wasn't going to beg to stay. She hated him too much to give him that.

"So what am I to do with you, Grayson?"

"Throw me out, I suppose. It's what you've been working for since the day we got here. Well, you've finally bagged your first Grayson. You must be the happiest demon on the planet right now."

Dunning shook his head in disgust. Gazing around the room with a look of wanting, he said, "Oh you don't know how much I wish I could."

His statement shocked Anna. _Of course he could,_ she thought. Why wouldn't he throw her out? She could see that's what he wanted to do. What would possibly stop him? Despite how much she hated him, Anna found herself hanging on his every word.

"You didn't answer my question," Dunning finally said, calmly.

"What question?"

"Why were you sending your owl into the Shadowed Forest?"

"Because I wanted to know who was living in the building that's hidden there."

The captain stared at her with a sudden look of troubled awareness. "There are no buildings in the Shadowed For..."

"Liar!"

His face flattened. "Now, why would I lie about that? For what purpose would I have for doing that? I tell you… there are no castles in the forest!"

"I didn't say it was a castle," Anna replied, echoing the captain's words back to prove he was lying. She could see Dunning's rage building to new levels yet again. Anna grinned, her eyes flashing with satisfaction. "I saw it. I know it's there."

"You… you saw it? But… how could you have…" he stopped short. "Whatever you think you saw, you didn't. But even if you did see something out there, why would it interest you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is my business. Haven't I already told you? Everything that happens on this mountain is my business."

"So you admit the castle is there, even if you won't tell me what it is?"

"I didn't say that."

"That's okay. I'll find out on my own."

The man scowled. "There you go again… that arrogant attitude of yours. Besides… how would you hope to accomplish such a task, sitting at home in that mansion of yours in California?" Anna didn't have an answer to this statement, which seemed to bring Dunning to an acceptable level of contentment.

"Oh how I wish I could take you to the place you seek, and show you around. You don't know the irony of this situation. Here you are, looking for a place that nobody will talk about — but where, by all accounts, you yourself should be."

Anna's head was throbbing, and the pain seemed twice as bad because she was fighting not to show how much it hurt. _What did he mean she should be there? What was he talking about?_ Finally, Anna's head hurt too much to ignore. She leaned forward in her chair and rested her aching skull in her hands.

"I'm tired of this," Anna moaned. "If you're going to expel me, then do it. Then I can contact my father, you can call the Chancellor, and we'll let them figure out the rest."

She looked up and could immediately see her words had struck a nerve. Dunning's face began to push thick veins through the skin of his forehead. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back into his chair as if contemplating his many evil options. Finally, he came forward again to look at her.

"No…" he said slowly, and he shook his head as if disbelieving what he himself was about to say. "I won't kick you out, but only if you will agree to three things."

Anna frowned disbelievingly. "And what would that be?" she rumbled, skeptically.

Dunning sneered. "First, you will stop sending owls into the Shadowed Forest. Second, you will not speak to anybody about what you think you saw out there. That includes your family… and especially your father. Have you told anybody else about this?"

"No," Anna lied.

"Not your family, a friend, your roommate?" Anna thought quickly. She had no idea what Sarah might be saying under interrogation back in the Server Hall. She had to hope for the best.

"I said, no!"

"Good. So… do we have a deal?"

Anna stared at Dunning suspiciously, untold buckets of doubt racing through her mind. She didn't like the idea of making an agreement with somebody she despised, especially when it meant keeping something from her father. There were too many unknown elements here; it made her feel like she was striking a covenant with Satan himself. Why would the captain want her to keep quiet about this? What part of this incident would Dunning not want her father to know about? It seemed to Anna that if her father knew anything about this, she would be the one in a lot trouble. _What was Dunning hiding? __What was he afraid of? _

"So?" he said, still scowling at her for an answer.

"And… if I say yes, you'll just forget about all of this?" Anna said, distrustfully.

"No, I didn't say that. I just won't expel you."

Anna looked down in disgust. What should she do? On one hand, she hated the idea of saying yes to this man.

"Tick-tock, Grayson."

On the other hand, the thought of being expelled from Castlewood was…

"Oh — come now; this isn't hard."

She decided to take another chance. "All right," she said, resignedly, not bothering to look at him. "Hold on…" her head jerked up, "you said there were three things you wanted."

Dunning slowly stood and then walked over to her. He placed his hands on either side of her chair and leaned in so that his eyes were level and just inches from hers. She could hear the wood in her chair groaning under his weight.

"As hard as this decision was for you to obviously make, girl," he said, his stare laying waste her remaining courage, "you can't imagine how difficult it is for me. The thought of letting you go, after what you've done, pains me greater than the death of my own mother, and you should know won't get another chance like this in the future. If you ever raise a hand to me again, I'll leave you on my office floor a bloody mess, without limbs to swing. Get me?"

For the first time since Anna had entered Dunning's office, she truly felt fear. Dunning didn't wait for an answer. He quickly stood straight before her and whipped out his wand. He pointed it at her, and Anna recoiled to cover her face.

"_Incendio_!"

Anna felt something hot explode near her legs, and her feet jumped off the floor as she looked down. She saw the letters she had sent with Hobbs curling as they lay burning on the wooden floor. Dunning was already walking away.

"Get the hell out of my sight!"

Anna stood, took three steps, and pushed the latch to open the door. She looked back at the smoldering parchment under the chair, and around at the wooden club lying on the office floor. Glancing up at Dunning's back, Anna smiled, and then walked out.

25


	24. Vollucross for Beginners

Chapter 24d25 – Vollucross for Beginners

Chapter 24

Vollucross for Beginners

ONE

"I have a few questions I need to ask you, Mr. Grayson."

"My name is Eric, John," Eric replied, angrily. "You know me. We've worked together for the last two years, ever since I first became a Knight. But if that's the way you want it, fine _Lieutenant Hayman._ Where is my sister? Where have the guards taken Anna?"

"Miss Grayson is being questioned in the Captain's office," replied the Crimson Guard. They were in the Lieutenant'sheadquarters, in the deepest part of the castle's dungeon. Eric had come to this place looking for Anna soon after she had been escorted out of the Server Hall. The Crimson officer sitting across the desk before him looked very uncomfortable. "Let's try to keep this at a professional level this time, Eric. It might make things go a little easier, all right?"

"Fine! So — what — the — hell — is going on?"

"Captain Dunning has asked me to get to the bottom of this… uh… situation. Do you know anything about the owls being sent into the Shadowed Forest?"

Eric's face went slack. "Owls… in the forest? No… why would anybody want to send an owl into the Shadowed Forest?"

"So you know nothing about any messages being sent into the forest at anytime over the last few days?"

"I said –– no."

"Do you know why Anna might be sending owls into the forest?"

For a moment, Eric looked dumbstruck. "Anna?" He grinned stupidly. "She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't… why would she do that? To whom would she –– anybody –– write in there?"

"That's a good question, Eric. Who would Anna be writing to? I mean generally speaking, who would she write to… outside of the castle?"

"Nobody I can think of. She has a couple of Muggle friends at home, but she wouldn't be sending an owl to them. Except for our father, everybody she knows is here at Castlewood. Besides her family, one friend, and her roommate, she doesn't know anybody. She's only been in Spellsburg since the beginning of the term."

"Yes, her friend…" the lieutenant began flipping through the pages of a report, "is Gwendolyn Reese. Is that correct?"

"Yes, they've been friends since they were children, before Gwen moved to Pennsylvania to start school. But Anna wouldn't be writing to her, she sees her every day."

"And her roommate is this, Sarah Bell. Is that right?" the guard asked, flipping over another page in his report.

"Yes."

"Does Anna know anybody in Spellsburg?"

"No, Anna doesn't know anybody living in the city. As I said before, she's only been here a few days."

The lieutenant finally leaned back and frowned. "This doesn't make any since," he whispered under his breath. There was a quick knock on the door and another guard suddenly entered the room.

"Beg your pardon, sir. An urgent report just came in from the Captain," said the man, sharply. Lieutenant Hayman stood, snatched the small scroll from the guard, and opened it. It took him a while to read through the pages, but when he finished he was smiling. "Thank you. That will be all."

"Yes, sir," said the other guard, who quickly left.

"Well, it looks like the Captain has already cleared this up for us, Eric. Seems all of this is just a big misunderstanding."

"What are you talking about?"

The Lieutenant took off his crimson cloak and threw it onto a chair behind him. Eric got the impression that all of the formality of their meeting had just ended.

"This is somewhat embarrassing, so bear with me while I explain." The lieutenant sat in his chair across the table again and leaned in as if to share with Eric a heavily guarded secret, his voice was purposely low.

"According to these documents I've just received from the Captain, we've been getting reports out of his office about a criminal element passing stolen goods in and out of Spellsburg. We think the contraband is coming from the Shadowed Forest where it's also being stored. When these criminals find a buyer, we believe an owl is sent from the forest to make arrangements for the stolen goods to be picked up. The Crimson Guard has been closely watching for any owls in and out of the forest all summer."

"So? What's that got to do with Anna?"

The guard took in a deep breath and shook his head reluctantly. "It would seem some of the guards the Captain put on this investigation were a bit… over zealous about finding these people in the forest. According to this report, they thought they saw Anna's owl coming out of the woods and, quite naturally, they believed these smugglers were using it to send another message into Spellsburg. They immediately set upon the task of capturing the owl in order to gather the message it was carrying. It might have helped them identify who the sender or receiver might have been. They ended up following this owl back to the Server Hall and to your sister's room."

"So Captain Dunning thinks this was just a mistake?" Eric sneered, incredulously.

"Apparently so. This note also orders me to stop my investigation, and any further questioning of you in this matter."

Eric leaned back in his chair and gave a heartened sigh of relief. The lieutenant could clearly see the morning had taken a heavy toll on his friend.

"Eric… I'm really sorry about all of this. I don't understand how this mistake could have happened. The Captain has told me to pass on his apologies if my conclusions concur with his preliminary findings."

Eric quickly looked up. "And? Are you satisfied Anna had nothing to do with this… this business in the forest?"

The lieutenant grinned affably. "Of course I am. It should never have gone this far."

Eric scowled. "If you're saying this shouldn't have happened, you're damn right! And I don't believe Dunning's entire story on this matter, John. How could they possibly think Anna, or any student for that matter, could be involved in this? If they've been investigating these crimes throughout the summer, why did they arrest Anna? She didn't even have an invitation to come to Castlewood up to a few weeks ago. Did you know anything about this… what did he call it? This _criminal element_, this smuggling-ring, before now?"

The lieutenant's face fell blank for a moment. "Well… no, I didn't. But the Captain has a number of on going investigations throughout the plateau. He has a tremendous amount of responsibility for security within this castle, the city of Spellsburg, and the rest of the mountain. His management style," he paused slightly, which told Eric that Hayman didn't appreciate Captain Dunning's management style for what it was, "keeps all of his lieutenants fairly segmented. While he's given me full authority inside the castle, I'm not exactly sure, day to day, what the other commanders and their squads are doing on the other side of the drawbridge."

"But you know how Dunning feels about my family, John. He's gone out of his way in the past to make things difficult for the Graysons. What do you think really happened here? Once the guards saw the owl entering the Server Hall, they should have realized it belonged to a student. But no, that fact didn't stop them from marching in and arresting my sister."

Eric suddenly stood and walked around the table. He snatched up lieutenant Hayman's cloak from the chair behind him and raised it up, seemingly searching for something on it. He finally found what he was looking for, a round, silver badge with the letter 'C' stamped on the front. He turned the front of the cloak toward the officer.

"This was not the badge I saw on the guards walking my sister out of the Hall, John. It was different from this badge."

"That's my Castlewood Squadron badge. All of the members of my team inside the castle wear it. It signifies that they work for me."

"I KNOW THAT! I also know the Crimson Guards that serve the city of Spellsburg have a similar badge with the letter 'S' stamped on it. They report to Lieutenant Mantos on Laborer's Street in the city." Eric threw the cloak back onto the chair. "But the guards that took Anna were different. Did you see the badge they wore? It had a 'D' stamped on it. I've never, in my six years living on this plateau, have ever seen these guards before. Where did they come from? What were they doing here? And why did they enter the castle without your permission, John?"

The Lieutenant suddenly stood. "Now wait a minute. What do you mean by…?" but Eric cut him off.

"I spoke with some of the other members of your squad, John. They told me these guards didn't ask for permission to enter the castle. They just marched in and took her!"

The lieutenant's expression relaxed as he looked down at his desk and began to collect the various papers of his report. "There are no regulations limiting another squad from coming into an unassigned station to assist in an investigation," he said, unconvincingly.

"Oh, really? Well I'd be rather upset if I knew somebody else had come onto my turf and did something like this, and I think I know you well enough to understand that, while there may be no formal regulations that apply here, these actions are a definite breech of the guard's personal code of conduct."

The lieutenantturned to face Eric again, seemingly to argue the point, but he didn't. He appeared resigned to his disappointment as he dropped his head. He paused a few seconds before Eric heard him muttering to the floor, "They should have come to me. Where do they get off entering the castle without my permission," he grumbled angrily to himself.

"Where is this squad's headquarters, John? What does this letter 'D' stand for? Who do they work for?"

"They obviously work for the Captain — like the rest of us do, of course. But… to be honest, Eric, I don't know anything about them. I've never seen them before today and, well… I don't like what they did either." There was a very long pause as the two men struggled to keep their irritations in check.

"When my father hears about this… there's going to be hell to pay."

The lieutenant looked suddenly worried. Then, when he saw the hesitancy lingering on Eric's face, Hayman's manner changed to one of private sympathy. "Eric, I understand you have every right to be upset. But bringing your family in on this is only going to make the situation more complicated than it has to be, and… well… it's also going to be personally embarrassing for me," he said in an anxious tone.

"Let me investigate the things that lead to this mistake. I admit there are things I don't understand about what happened here. But if you'll allow me to check into it, without the worry of outside intervention, I can assure you I will get to the root cause of these events."

Eric was uncertain. "So… what are you going to do?"

The lieutenant sat on the corner of the desk and thought. "I admit the guards who were involved in this case trouble me," Hayman said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I suppose it is possible that Captain Dunning has formed a new squad to investigate this case of stolen goods moving in and out of the Shadowed Forest. I'm just guessing, of course, but it's one of the things I'd like to clear up in my own mind. Secondly, I don't understand why I've never heard of this smuggling investigation in the first place. While the Captain does keep his squads somewhat segmented, we are generally informed about the top priorities of all of his lieutenants. I can't imagine why I've never heard about an investigation of this magnitude before now."

Eric took a while to think about his options, and then slowly shook his head. "I would really hate to trouble my father with all of this. He already has so much to deal with right now. His responsibilities to the Ministry, Anna's unexpected departure to Castlewood, not to mention what's going on here at the school with the new Guardian Union, are taking all of his time to manage."

Hayman nodded. "I also heard about the attacks at the Grayson estate," he added, cautiously. Eric looked at him in surprise and the officer shrugged. "My brother is a member of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures at the Ministry. He was at the house after the second attack," the officer explained.

Eric paused for a moment, and then nodded in a manner one does when reaching a troubled decision. "If you'll agree to keep me informed on your findings in this case, I'll keep my family quiet about what happened here today."

Hayman smiled and then came around the desk to shake Eric's hand. "Thank you, Eric. I really appreciate your willingness to work with me on this."

As Eric left Lieutenant Hayman's office, he saw Gwen and Sarah sitting outside, waiting to be questioned. They both jumped to their feet when they saw him.

"Eric! What's going on? Where's Anna?" Gwen yelped, in a worried voice. "Sarah says she was arrested?"

"It's all right. She's down in Dunning's office. The situation has already been cleared up. It's just a big mistake. You simply need to…"

"Eric, let me finish my investigation here," Hayman interrupted, stepping between him and Gwen. "I still have a few questions to ask these girls before I can close the file. Due diligence demands I speak to them before you do. I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, of course… my apologies. I look forward to speaking to you again when you find the answers you're looking for, John." He turned to Gwen and Sarah. "I'll see you upstairs," he said reassuringly, and then he left. Gwen and Sarah looked at each other reproachfully.

"Miss Reese? Would you please step into my office," said Lieutenant Hayman, in an unexpected tone of politeness.

TWO

When Anna left Dunning's office, she didn't return to the Server Hall. She had to get away, to think about what had just happened. She found her way out of the dungeons and to the main entrance. She flung open the doors, ran down the steps into the courtyard, and then over the drawbridge into the city. It was still early, and Anna was rather shocked to see the everyday life in Spellsburg continuing as if nothing had just happened. How could it be that her entire world had nearly come apart, and yet, nobody around her seemed to care?

"Good morning," said a round man in an apron, stacking oranges outside his grocery store. Anna didn't say anything. She had no idea where she was going and soon found herself beyond the gates of Spellsburg, walking aimlessly out on the plateau. The grass was still wet from the morning dew and before long, Anna's feet where soaked and cold straight through to her socks. She barely noticed. Her mind was too busy putting together the fractured pieces of the events leading up to her fight with Dunning. She shuddered, thinking about his face glaring down at her, his hands around her throat, his determination to choke the life out of her. She had never seen such fury in another person in her entire life. Although she was still angry about Hobbs, the threats from Dunning were very serious, and Anna knew she would have to do everything she could to stay out of the captain's way from now on.

She tried to focus her mind back to the one thing she knew. _Hobbs must have delivered her letters to a member of the Crimson Guard. _"And that means the guards are inside the black castle as well," she reasoned to herself. _But why were they there?_ And what did Dunning mean when he said that she, Anna, should be in this place herself? There was only one answer that made any sense. _If the castle was a prison, then Dunning must have been saying she belonged in jail for what she had done while in his office. _

"Yeah, you're the one who should be locked in a cage, Dunning," Anna grumbled angrily under her breath. As the Captain's horrible face burst forth into her mind once again, another problem suddenly presented itself to her. How would she explain all of this to Eric? What could she possibly tell her brother that would keep him from sending an owl directly to their father? Anna groaned. If Eric did that, it would mean going back on her agreement with Dunning, which would certainly mean her expulsion from Castlewood for attacking him. _And what about Dunning?_ For some unknown reason, it seemed to be in his best interest to keep what happened quiet as well. And not just from the students and the teachers, but specifically from her father. _What was at the black castle that Dunning was hiding?_

"Hello, Anna. Out at the stables bright and early this morning, I see." It was Mr. Kingston, the stable master. Anna was somewhat surprised to see him. She looked around and realized she had unconsciously wandered onto the stadium grounds. "Fancy yourself a mount this morning?"

"Oh, hello Jeremiah. I… ah… well, I wasn't… ah… how's Swooper today?" she said, searching desperately for a reason to explain why she was there.

"Right as rain! He's eating three times his normal share these days. Seems he's come out of his depression a hellion. Why don't you go and see for yourself?"

"Thanks, I… think I will," and Anna set off guardedly toward the stables.

As she peered around the corner of the last stall, she could see the black stallion eating his grain from a box mounted on the wall. Anna could hear his obsessive crunching, his neck straining to reach the bottom of his feeding box. The sight of the beautiful horse with iridescent wings made Anna smile for the first time that morning.

"Hey… go easy there, big guy. You keep eating like that, and you won't be able to get off the ground." The stallion jerked up and looked at Anna. He recognized her immediately and his body swerved around to center itself in the stall. He let out a nickered blow, _HWHOOOO – WHAAA_, that sounded like wind passing through deep pipes. He suddenly rose high on his hind legs and began kicking ecstatically into the air, the heavy sound of his fast jabs whipping out toward her. Anna smiled and opened the gate.

"Easy boy," she said, reaching out as he fell back down onto all fours. He then shook his massive head and came forward. Anna was surprised at the sight of him. The winged horse seemed even bigger than when she first saw him the week before. She ran her hands down his ribs and felt what seemed like newly formed muscle there. "Wow, you've been packing on the pounds, Swooper."

Mr. Kingston looked in. "He hasn't been in the air since the day you took him up, though."

"Really? Why is that?" Anna asked, somewhat surprised.

"Won't let any other riders near him. A few have tried, of course, but they couldn't get as near as you are now. He's a stubborn old fool, that one." Swooper looked up to glare at Mr. Kingston and snorted loudly. "Well — you are!" the stable master retorted. "Doctor Pearl finally convinced him to let her into his saddle the day before yesterday, but before she could get herself settled he threw her nearly twenty feet across the lawn."

"Oh-my-gosh! Is she all right?"

Kingston smiled. "Oh yeah, she's fine. Tough old bird, our Pearl, but I've never seen her so angry. Raving mad, she was. Threatened to banish Swooper into Neptune's Veil for what he'd done." Swooper grunted, shaking his head disapprovingly. "And you know she'd do it to, ya blue-eyed hot head," Kingston bellowed at the horse. Anna giggled. "So, you planning to take him up this morning?" he said, looking inquiringly at her.

"Well, I'm supposed to be in class right now," Anna replied, looking longingly at the horse.

Mr. Kingston smiled again. "I heard about your arrest this morning. Everything all right?" Anna snapped up.

"You heard about that?"

"Oh, I think everybody heard about that. It's not often we see that many guards swooping around in the skies above the city this early in the morning. Of course… the screaming back and forth out your Server Hall window was sure to gather a lot of attention too."

Anna cringed. "Sorry about that," she said, embarrassed.

"Yes, well, Spellsburg may look like a big city, but it's really just a very small town. News like that spreads like a fanned fire around here. Everybody knew who was in trouble before you even left your room."

Anna winced. So much for keeping what happened a secret from her father, she thought miserably.

"But we all heard it was just a big to-do over nothing. Some kind of mixed up mistake is what the guards in Spellsburg have been saying. Are you all right?" Anna was so shocked she could barely speak. The news of her arrest and release making it into the city had unnerved her.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay… I guess," she lied, still feeling the bump on the back of her head throbbing mercilessly.

Kingston gave her a doubtful look. "Good… glad to hear it. I know Dunning can be somewhat intimidating sometimes, so –– you deserve a little break. Why don't you get yourself into some riding clothes, and I'll find Swooper's saddle." Anna's expression changed from worried concern to long-sought hope in less than a second. She was so appreciative of Kingston's offer that she immediately reached out and hugged him on the spot.

"Thank you," she said, in a muffled voice against his coat. "I really need to ride right now," she sobbed.

Kingston smiled and then pushed her back. "The fact that you _need_ a mount at a time like this proves you're not just weight in a saddle, Anna." He tapped her playfully on the nose. "You've got the heart and soul of a true rider. Now go on, we'll meet you outside."

Fifteen minutes later, Anna was running out of the locker room and onto the stadium field. Kingston, as promised, had Swooper ready to go. He threw her a harness. "Your shirt's on backwards," he said, laughing.

"What? Ohhh!" Anna huffed angrily. She turned quickly and whipped off the shirt to turn it around. The cold morning breeze on her bare skin stung as she held up the coarse-haired shirt, trying to find the right way in. Mr. Kingston quickly turned to look the other way, giggling.

"Kind of cold to go bare-back," he snorted.

When he could hear Anna snapping the buckles of her harness, he turned around, cupped his hands, and lifted her into the saddle. "Have a good flight, Anna, and don't come back until all your worries have blown themselves out, okay?"

"Okay — and… well… thanks," Anna said, wiping the tears out of her eyes before taking up the reins.

The stable master grinned and then walked up to the front of the horse. He yanked down on Swooper's clip. "And you –– behave yourself!" he said, pointing a threatening finger at the horse. "Hear me?" Swooper grunted and bared his teeth back at him. Kingston looked up at Anna. "There are only a couple of other horses out this morning, Anna. Nobody to worry about –– the skies are all yours," he informed her, unsnapping the clip on Swooper's bridle.

"Up, Swooper, up!" he waved.

Minutes later, Anna was at the five hundred foot ceiling and racing through the blue morning air. Flying away from a world full of problems, this was living. While up here, she didn't care about Dunning, the black castle, or even the school now passing below her. It felt wonderful to think only as far as she could see, and breathe the cleansing air of freedom once again.

Grinning with excitement, Anna hooked the back of her heels against the saddle's metal pegs to hold herself tight and banked Swooper into a long, slow roll. By the time they came out of the turn, they were ten feet above the ground and racing across the plateau, the wind stinging Anna's ears as it rushed passed her. She could see the familiar outline of Doctor Pearl waddling across the lawn toward the stadium in front of them. Dressed in her usual black, the Doctor began waving merrily as they approached, and they could hear her sharp whistle telling them to go higher. Swooper let out an angry snort and then dipped lower as they zoomed by, the wind from his wings blowing the good doctor off her feet.

"Yaaaahhhhhhhhhoooooooooo!" Anna howled excitedly, as they rose high into the sky once again.

After about an hour of racing around the plateau and over the city, an obsessive thought came into Anna's head to travel north, and perhaps high enough to see the black castle again. She even caught herself looking around and wondering if anyone might see her going above the legal ceiling, but her good sense held her back. She didn't need to give Dunning another reason to send her home.

"Hello there!"

Anna quickly looked around and saw somebody gliding down next to her. It was the same blond girl who had been riding the Abraxan Palomino that attacked Swooper on her first flight over the plateau. She was riding a different horse this time, a reddish-brown flyer with white feet. "Beautiful morning for a ride, isn't it?"

"Hi!" Anna yelled back, immediately nervous about their close proximity to each other. "Do you think it's safe for us to be this close?"

"Oh sure," the girl said, patting the gorgeous chestnut mount below her. "Peppercorn here is a sweetheart. She's never been in a fight."

"That's a relief," Anna shouted out across the space between them, and she watched as the other girl's body rose gracefully between her horse's wing-beats. Her back was stiff and proper, and Anna couldn't help straightening to mimic her style.

"How's the leg?" Anna yelled over to her.

"Fine; no problem. I see the two of you came out of the fight okay."

"Everything's all right here. Swooper is just, well, a little hot-headed." Anna could hear her horse give out another angry snort below her.

"That's okay. In fact, a good fighting spirit is absolutely necessary for a great Vollucross horse. Speaking of which, how about it?"

"How about –– what?" Anna shouted back, dully.

"A race, of course!" the girl returned, smiling brightly. "See if you can keep up!" And with a powerful kick, her horse zoomed off ahead of them.

"But…?" Anna started to say she wasn't much interested in being with anybody right now, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, the girl was far ahead and gaining speed. Before Anna had decided what she intended to do, she could feel Swooper flapping his wings harder and the wind against her chest stiffen as their speed increased. Anna leaned down intuitively against Swooper's back, still unsure if she wanted to chase after them. She could see the gap between her and the other horse had stopped growing, however, and with every strong thrust of Swooper's powerful wings was slowly beginning to shrink. Anna smiled and leaned down still lower against Swooper's back to give him a gentle nudge in the ribs.

"You want to chase after them, don't you?" she said, provokingly. "Okay then –– go get her!"

The effect of these simple words on Anna's horse was immediate. She could feel every muscle along his back tighten, and the curl of his wing-beats change from their simple up and down motion, to a complicated array of circles, reaching forward and sweeping back to glide. Their acceleration increased dramatically, and the gap separating the two horses was now closing at an almost astonishing rate.

Within minutes, the girl who was nearly out of sight at the start was barely a few feet ahead of them. Peppercorn's black tail was whipping in the wind side to side, almost teasing them onward. Anna watched in amazement as Swooper's wings reached forward, almost touching their tips in the front, before sweeping back hard. She could feel his massive midriff expanding, pushing Anna's legs apart as he swelled to take in more air for the battle yet to come. She saw the rider in front casually look back and the expression on her face turn to shock at seeing Anna so close behind them. Her head jerked forward and she leaned down. Anna saw her right shoulder give a funny little twitch, and they immediately rolled to the right and down.

"Where are you going?" Anna growled, and she snapped Swooper's reins over to match the girl's turn. The other rider must have thought the maneuver would widen the gap between them; it didn't work. Swooper was directly behind them again, snapping his jaws at the other horse's tail.

Anna looked for a way to pass on the right, but Swooper must have seen something in the horse's movement that he recognized; something familiar that told him what the horse in front intended to do next. When the brown chestnut banked left, Swooper had already copied the move flawlessly before the rider in front thought to begin. Anna jabbed the reins up and to the left to cut inside, but Swooper moved to immediately correct her mistake. He dropped down beneath the other horse to take advantage of their speed before starting their turn. Anna, surprised by Swooper's action, realized she had a lot to learn about this sport. Passing up here had to be calculated in three dimensions. Anna ducked low as the hooves of the other horse passed just inches over her head, and then Swooper shot up again to finish the pass.

Anna could hear the other girl screaming at her horse, "Go — go — go," as they began chasing them from behind. Minutes later, the girl was gliding by Anna's side once again.

"Very good, but can you do it when it really matters?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna said, smiling smugly. The other rider grinned back.

"Follow me!" she quipped, and the other horse banked right and headed toward the Shadowed Forest below. Anna followed her. Looking more to understand where the girl was going than to pass, she saw them drop out of sight in a gap between in the trees. Anna fell into the gap as well, letting Swooper lead the way; he seemed to know exactly where they were going. They dropped low below the tops of the trees and into an open alleyway inside the old, oak forest. The trees were zooming by them in a blur, which gave Anna a heightened sense of unbelievable speed twenty feet above the ground.

As they entered the next turn, the other horse finally came into view once again. Swooper was chasing them down through a series of tight turns when the alley opened into an enormous, circular clearing within the trees. In the center of the space stood a wooden pole, fifty feet high, painted in green and white checks. A small, red-triangular flag was flying there at half-mast. The other horse headed for the pole with Anna following close behind. She watched as the other rider banked hard into a turn around the pole and the girl's gloved hand reached out for one of several metal rings hovering near the flag. There was a sharp _CLANG_ as the girl snatched one of the green rings away. Anna zoomed around the pole, glancing back at the rings suspended there and Swooper gave out a disgusted snort as they flew by.

"You have to take a ring!" the girl yelled back at Anna, holding up her prize with a smile. Anna watched her reach back and snap the ring into a clip at the rear of her saddle. "Try and get the next one!"

Anna nodded and followed the girl into another gap within the trees. _So this was Vollucross,_ Anna thought, leaning into another tight turn. She immediately understood why the sport was so popular on the plateau. The speed, the skill, and experience necessary to know when and where to pass where merged into something truly amazing. Anna leaned forward, seeking again to close the gap between the two riders. She noticed the alleyway seemed to be closing in around them; it was barely wide enough for the horses to fly here. Then, without warning, a sudden gust of the wind hit Anna hard in the chest as Swooper unexpectedly shot up to pass the other horse in front of them. But the appearance of the next turn cut his intentions short, and Anna let out a scream as the trees coming directly at her suddenly whirled left as Swooper turned to follow the other horse down into the gap again, his hooves crashing through the branches of the trees behind them.

There was another left turn, a right, right again, left. Trees were whizzing by them in a green haze, sporadically broken by the broad lines of their dark trunks. Suddenly the horse in front started to slow and Swooper saw another opportunity to pass.

"WAIT!" Anna warned, knowing full well there had to be a reason for the girl's abrupt change of speed. Swooper shot over the top of the other rider just in time to see a wall of trees coming toward them. Panicking, Anna jerked the reins back and Swooper streaked straight up to avoid crashing. They exploded out of the gap and then turned to look down. The other rider had finished what looked like a hairpin turn at a much slower speed, but was able to stay in the gap and stretch their lead. Swooper snorted, rolled over, and zoomed back into the gap behind them, his wingtips drifting dangerously close to the ground as he raced through the turns. Anna felt the weight of her own body crushing her flat around a long, tight bend when the trees abruptly opened once again without warning. Anna gasped in surprise as they shot over the edge of a cliff and above a sunlit, crystal lake two hundred feet below them.

The other horse was flapping hard, racing for an object standing in the center of the lake. It was another pole, this time painted in blue checks, its flag perched high at the top. Anna and Swooper headed for the flag and watched as the other girl shot around the pole, their backs gleaming in the morning sun as they slid expertly through the tight turn. Peppercorn's wings were extended wide as they closed in on the rings.

There was another loud _CLANG_ and the horse and its rider headed back toward Anna to pass her going the other way. The girl raised the blue ring the size of a dinner plate to show Anna, and then stuck her tongue through its center as she zipped past them. Anna laughed as they fell around the pole and then turned serious as she reached out to grab one of the rings. The wind was buffeting her arm so violently that, for one brief moment, Anna thought it might tear away from her body completely. She stretched out in her saddle, concentrating hard to hold herself steady. She could feel her fingers wrapping around the steel and another sharp _CLANG_ sounded as she snatched the ring away. Swooper bellowed with delight as he finished the turn, and then resumed his pursuit of the other horse once more.

By the time they had reached the next ally, Swooper was nearly on top of the other horse again. Left, right, right again, left; the trees were thumping by Anna's ears like a drumbeat. They entered a third clearing and this time an entire mountain loomed up before them. Swooper chased the other horse toward the rocky slopes as Anna looked desperately for the next pole. Finally, she saw the other horse heading for what looked like a giant, shadowed face carved into the side of the mountain. The horse and its rider flew toward the massive head and Anna watched in disbelief, as they unexpectedly turned straight into its open mouth. Anna ducked low and Swooper folded his wings tight against his body to follow them. A feeling of sudden dread filled Anna's core, as she looked up at the massive face that seemed intent on swallowing them whole. The sunlight disappeared suddenly as they flew straight down the mountain's throat and into blackness.

The air was much colder here and felt wet as they flew into a vast cave, and then into a tunnel through the rock on the other side. Right, left, right, down, up, right again, Anna could barely see the other horse through the darkening gloom ahead of them. Every few yards, a large, blue mushroom gave off an odd glow to light their way. Anna could feel Swooper slowing down in the darkest parts of the tunnel around them and she remembered something Pearl had said about Swooper not being able to see in the dark. Anna leaned forward to speak into his ear.

"Right turn coming… here it comes… turn right!" Swooper obeyed. "Left turn coming… left! Right turn, left turn," Anna continued giving Swooper encouragement as they went along, and it was working. Her mount was speeding up again, gaining more confidence through every turn. Anna heard a slight _clang_ somewhere in front of them and she knew the other girl had already reached the next ring. Finally, Anna glided into a vast cavern and she yelped as her horse suddenly dipped to miss a Stalactite hanging low from the ceiling above them. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw the other rider exiting the cavern to her left.

As Anna and Swooper flew into the center of the enormous opening, they found the third pole, painted black and white this time, its flag lying limp and motionless at the bottom.

_CLANG_, echoed the bell as Anna snatched a black ring away above a stalagmite, protruding ominously up from the rocky floor. The bell reverberated and hummed against the walls around her like a ghostly tune as they exited the cavern and into the cold tunnels once more.

"Left, right, down, left-turn coming," instructed Anna. Finally, they could see a beautiful blue dot growing bigger in front of them; freedom was close at hand. Anna watched as the blue dot winked when the other racer exited the mountain.

"That's the way out, Swooper. Go — go!"

Swooper, seeing the open skies just ahead of them, pushed forward and they shot through the opening like a bullet leaving the barrel of a riffle. WHOOSH! They were out. The bright morning sun made Anna's eyes tear as she frantically looked around for the other rider.

"Where are they?" Anna yelled, squinting and looking wildly about. "There!" Anna pointed down and could see the girl entering the next alleyway into the trees below them. Swooper bellowed, and then toppled into a dive to chase after them. They raced into the gap once more and Swooper, now clearly happy he could see properly again, was pushing harder than ever to catch up. They broke into another clearing and Anna could see the other rider climbing into the sun.

"Up, Swooper. Go get her!"

As they rose, they could see the two heading over a grass-covered hill and then disappear over its crest. When Swooper cleared the hill, Anna groaned. Vollucross stadium was now in clear view just ahead of them, and the other horse was pushing hard to victory. They were so far ahead Anna couldn't see how they could possibly catch them.

"Down Swooper! There they are! Go — go — go!" Anna commanded, snapping the reins on the horse's side. Swooper's thrusts were strong and determined. He reached forward and pulled back with all his strength, struggling to close the gap once more. His hooves were kicking out violently behind them with each stroke, and it was working; they were gaining on them. They did have a chance. Swooper was a far stronger flier; it was just a matter of time. _But was there enough time to catch them before they entered the stadium? _They were nearly on top of them now as the two horses banked into the final turn, one right after the other.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Anna followed the other rider toward two yellow poles standing just a mile from the gap in the stadium beyond.

"We've got them, Swooper! We'll go through he poles and pass them on the other side. We've got them," Anna yelled.

WHOOSH!

The first horse sailed between the two poles.

WHOOSH!

Anna and Swooper shot through just behind them.

Suddenly, there was a loud CRACK, a flash of white light, and everything around them disappeared in an instant. There was another loud CRACK, and everything reappeared once more.

"What was that?" Anna yelled, looking around to find her bearing. She looked up and, in complete astonishment, saw the same two yellow poles coming into view ahead of them once more. They had been sent backward at least five hundred yards.

As they approached the poles again, Anna thought to avoid them. "Left Swooper; go around them!" But the horse knew better and stayed his course between the poles. "No!" Anna closed her eyes, expecting another flash of light as they shot through the space between the poles again, but this time nothing happened. Anna looked up in time to see the other horse and its rider enter the stadium gap far ahead of them. They had lost the race. _But why?_ Why were they sent back right when they were so close to finally catching them?

Anna entered the stadium somewhat confused and irritated. She could hear the spatter of light clapping as she entered the oval space inside the stadium grounds, and was surprised to see a dozen townspeople sitting in the stands in various positions overlooking the green lawns below. Anna could see the girl she had been chasing standing in the center of the field, hugging and happily patting her horse. Anna glided in and softly landed a few yards away.

"That –– was –– excellent, Miss Grayson," announced Doctor Pearl, who was standing unnoticed on the side of the other horse, inspecting the animal's wings. "Truly excellent! An outstanding chase for your first time in the field — well done!"

Anna beamed. "Thanks. It was unbelievable," she replied, excitedly.

"She gave us all we could handle out there, Doctor," said the other girl. "I never expected so much competition this early in the season, especially from a first-year." She turned to Anna. "You did extremely well. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again this year," she said, pointing out toward the gap in the stadium.

"Thanks… but I'm not sure what happened there at the end. I was right behind you until we got to those yellow poles. Then there was a bright flash of light and I found myself way behind again."

"That was the quarter-mile penalty for missing the first ring," the girl said, brightly. "Pretty stiff price to pay for missing one ring… especially at the end of the race. Still, you did really well. I've seen riders miss so many rings that the _Amber Gates_ sent them all the way back to the black caverns.

"Really?" Anna replied in astonishment, and she shuddered at the thought of being transported back to the dark caves inside the mountain.

"My name is Lannete Cobstone," the girl said, shaking Anna's hand.

"Anna Grayson," Anna replied brightly, and she watched as the girl's face fell before peering over to look at Doctor Pearl.

"That's right… Eric Grayson's little sister," the doctor said, smiling satisfactorily.

Lannete's eyebrows lifted as she tried to force a pleasant smile; it looked rather painful for her to do. "Oh great… another Grayson who can ride," the girl moaned miserably. "I guess the team trophy won't come as easy this year as I thought." She turned to Anna again. "No offense, but why couldn't you have taken after your sisters when it comes to flying these beasts? It would have made my job so much easier this season. Oh well, hope I see you again soon," she said merrily. "See you!"

Anna smiled as she watched Lannete turn to walk her horse back to the stables. "You can count on it," she murmured, under her breath.

"Oh… now that's the kind of fighting spirit this sport needs," Pearl said, laughing at Anna's reaction. "Don't worry, my dear, you'll get another shot at her. She was the fourth-year champion, last year."

"Really? She's the best of the fourth-years?"

"That is correct. Miss Cobstone is an extremely talented rider, and hopes to repeat as champion in her fifth-year as well. She's impressive enough to draw the odds-makers in the city whenever she enters the field," the doctor said, pointing at the men sitting randomly in the stands. Anna could see each of the men scribbling in little books on their laps.

"Barbarians!" Pearl said, coolly. "Turning the noble sport of Vollucross into a gambling opportunity. I've asked Captain Dunning to clamp down on it this year, but he said his men are far too busy to involve themselves in such mundane misdemeanors. Ogre's dung! Most of the guards are taking bets themselves!" Anna couldn't stop herself from chuckling.

"But it would seem the odds-makers were very impressed with you, my dear," the doctor continued. "I haven't seen them stand to applaud a first-year entering a stadium since Jessica Jones rode in seventy-seven."

"Gee, I hope I'm not a disappointment to them," Anna said, looking around at the bleachers again.

"The expectation of a close race always draws a lot of attention in the city. More attention means more business for them, and more gold in their pockets. I'm sure we'll be seeing your name highlighted in the next racing form. Not that I ever read that twaddle myself, of course."

Anna smiled. "Can I ask you a question, Doctor? How would somebody sitting here in the stadium know how well I did or didn't do out in the field?"

The doctor grinned. "By the application of some very complicated spells, and the use of the Vollucross Hemisphere." Anna looked confused so Pearl went on to explain. "You see… we're able to track all of the riders and watch their progress here in the stadium wherever they go –– watch." And Pearl raised her wand at the open sky above them.

"_Projectius Visum!"_

Instantly, the sky above them started to fade from sunny blue to midnight black. Unexpected moving pictures burst forth over their heads on what looked like an invisible dome dropping over the entire stadium around them. Anna gawked in wonder at seeing many of the places where she had chased the other rider through the forest and alleyways, gleaming bright above them. She saw the lake and a close-up of the flagged pole in its center, and another picture next to that of the tunnels and caves within the mountain, shining like colored windows in the heavens.

"Remarkable!" Anna whispered, as she strained to see the places she had visited during her ride.

"Ah — perfect timing. Here comes our Mister Durkin now. He's heading for the blue marker over the lake. Let's see how he does."

Sure enough, Anna could see a familiar face, riding on a gray horse with peppered wings, coming onto view above them. Two more riders on winged palominos were chasing after him. Anna watched in astonishment as Stephen Durkin swooped into a right turn around the checkered pole, while his two chasers went left. They crossed around the flag in the middle as Stephan reached out for a ring.

"Come on, boy," the doctor called out. "Get it this time!" she said, making a fist at the scene above them. There was a loud _CLANG_. "That's it! Very good!" Pearl yelled. But Anna could see Stephan was in trouble again. He was losing his balance over the side of his horse. "Oh no…" moaned Pearl, "counter weight, you stupid boy, counter!" she screeched, leaning her round body heavily to the side, as if her actions might help Stephan recover his balance; it did not. Stephan toppled over the saddle and plummeted sideways toward the water below. As Stephan hit, his angled speed sent him bouncing twice off the top of the water before finally suddenly halting with one enormous SPLOOOSHHH in the lake.

Several of the odds-makers sitting in the stands groaned and gave an irritated wave toward the scene above them. Obviously, they were not impressed with Stephan's performance either.

"Oh dear," Pearl said, shaking her head. "When will that boy ever learn to buckle his harness?" she moaned, waving her wand again. Rays of morning light burst forth through the dome as the images above them began to fade. "I have something here that might interest you," the Doctor said, and she handed Anna a wrapped package.

"What's this?"

Pearl cupped her hands and watched as Anna tore off the paper. It was a book, _Vollucross for Beginners_, by Doctor Margaret Pearl, Healer/Vollucross Steward, Castlewood Academy.

"Wow, thank you," Anna said, looking up and beaming with delight. She opened the front cover and, looking at its list of credits, she read: Mr. Jeremiah Kingston, Vollucross Stable Master, Castlewood Academy. "You and Mr. Kingston wrote this?"

"Yes, we did," Pearl said with a smile. "It's not a complete work, because… it doesn't include all of our breeding techniques, of course." She leaned in to whisper, "Can't go giving out all of our secrets, now can we? Still, we're very proud of it… and our number-one standing on the _Wizarding Writer's Best Seller's List_. In fact, we were only bumped down to number two by Gilderoy Lockhart's book, _Magical Me_, two years ago," she said, proudly. "Oh… I really love that man's work," she sighed, staring dreamingly off in the distance.

"I'm sorry?" Anna said blankly.

"You know, Gilderoy sent me an owl to apologize for taking away the number one spot from us. Can you imagine? An exciting man like that taking the time to write to me. He even sent me an autographed picture," she revealed, excitedly. "Such a shame. I heard he was injured rescuing some students while teaching at Hogwarts, the poor dear. Still, thirty weeks at number-one isn't bad, aye?"

"Thank you very much," Anna said, kissing the Doctor on the cheek.

Pearl straightened with satisfaction. "You will find all the rules and a history of Vollucross there in those pages. Give it a read — and remember: I have my own selfish reasons for giving you that book. The Vollucross team tryouts are next month and I expect to see you prepared to do your best."

THREE

Anna spent the rest of the day in the stables, washing down the animals and doing chores for Mr. Kingston. Although it was very hard work, she found it much more enjoyable being around the horses, even in the dirt of their stalls, than the other options open to her. The thought of going back to the castle and facing Eric wore heavily on her mind. Anna still hadn't figured out how to explain what had happened in Dunning's office without divulging the truth about the things leading up to her arrest. But Anna couldn't put it off much longer. It was getting dark now and Kingston had already gone home for his dinner.

"There you are," came a friendly voice behind her, and Anna turned to find Gwen and Sarah standing in the doorway of the stable. "I told Sarah we might find you here. We searched everywhere in the castle looking for you before it dawned on me where you would be."

"Anna… are you all right?" Sarah asked her worriedly.

Although it had been nearly fourteen hours since she was sitting in Dunning's office, the sight of her friends standing in the door brought the whole terrible event back as if it had only just happened. Anna stood there, gripping the handle of her shovel, trying desperately to stifle her tears.

"No," Anna's voice shook. "I don't think I'll be right for a very long time," she said, turning her head away. She could feel her emotions beginning to slide out of her control.

"Ohhhh…" Gwen whispered, walking over to her. "Come here, sweetie," and Gwen wrapped her arms around her friend to hold her close. Anna dropped her shovel, fell into Gwen's tender arms, and started to cry. The flashes of Dunning's horrible face and the shame of what she had almost done to her family in attacking him were too much to endure. "It's all right…" Gwen said, soothingly. "It's all behind you now." Sarah was standing to the side, watching her roommate sobbing despondently in Gwen's arms. She reached out to gently stroke Anna's hand.

"What they did to you… was terrible," Sarah choked out, shaking her head miserably.

"If my father ever finds out what I did…" Anna said, releasing Gwen to wipe her face, "he'll be disgraced. I won't be able to face him."

Gwen looked at Sarah in surprise before turning back to Anna. "What you did? But you didn't do anything to deserve… look at your hands!" Gwen stretched Anna's fingers back to reveal several enormous blisters lying torn and broken on her palms. Anna was just as surprised as Gwen at the terrible sight. "You've been working your fingers to the bone in here. When will you ever listen to me when I tell you that ice cream heals all wounds, not manual labor?" Anna smiled and watched as Gwen pulled out a vial of blue liquid from the pocket of her robes and began to dab its contents on the sores. Smoke started to rise off of Anna's palms and she could feel a slight stinging sensation spreading out through her fingers. Gwen pulled out her wand and pointed it at Anna's hands. She muttered something under her breath and, when the smoke cleared, Anna's hands were healed.

"Thanks," Anna whispered.

"No problem. Just an old trick my mother taught me a long time ago. When you play the piano, you learn to be prepared for injuries to your hands," she said, still inspecting the wounds. She folded Anna's hands closed and looked up. "There –– good as new. Now… let's get you out of here before you start mowing all the lawns in the arena."

Half an hour later, the girls were seated in front of Mrs. Smile's Ice Cream Parlor, eating Gwen's favorite emotional food. Although the small crowd had forced them to sit outside, some of the other patrons still didn't appreciate the rude aroma coming off of Anna's robes.

"Pee-you!" Gwen said, screwing up her nose at Anna. "Girl, you need a shower… pronto!"

"Yeah, I guess I am pretty ripe," Anna chuckled, looking around at the other customers staring at her.

"So what happened in Dunning's office?" Gwen asked, taking another big lick off her double-scoop. Anna leaned in to tell Gwen and Sarah everything that had happened with the Captain. When she was finished, Sarah looked horrified, but Gwen, as expected, was positively beaming with excitement.

"You hit Dunning upside his pointed head? Oh — that is soooo great! Anna… you're my hero!"

"Shhh!" Anna warned, looking around then. "No… don't you see? If my father ever found out what I did…" she stopped short in explaining the dreadful possibilities. "Not to mention the fact that I think the Captain is going to make me pay for what I did for the next seven years. Assuming, of course, he doesn't find a way to murder me first."

"Oh, dear," Sarah gasped, concernedly. "You don't think the Captain would really try to hurt you, would he?" Anna leaned back and shrugged.

"Nah… I wouldn't worry too much about the Captain. It's Debbie Dunning you need to watch. If Captain Dunning ever put his hands on you again, he knows your father would have him sent straight to the Wizard's prison… Azkaban. No, he's too smart for that. But his sister… now that's a different matter entirely. You can expect him to put her up to causing you a lot of pain for what you did today." Anna, somewhat surprised by this idea, nodded in agreement.

"How do you think Captain Dunning got the letters you were sending to the black castle?" Sarah asked. Anna told them her theory that the Crimson Guards must also be stationed at the castle in the forest.

"Makes sense," Gwen agreed, "but I wonder what they're doing there."

"No idea," Anna admitted before turning to Sarah. "So what happened to you after I was arrested?"

"Well… about ten minutes after you left," Sarah explained, "a guard escorted me into the dungeons. Oh, what a horrible place that was. I saw all kinds of awful..." she stopped short, "anyway, I was waiting to be questioned by Lieutenant Hayman, when another guard came in with Gwen." Anna looked at Gwen in surprise.

"Guilt by association, I suppose," Gwen said, proudly. "They yanked me right out of class," she explained, and then she smirked. "History of Magic –– they did me a favor there. Anyway, we were sitting outside Hayman's office when Eric came out."

"Eric was there too?" Anna said in surprise.

"Yeah — and oh-boy, he didn't look very happy. But he tipped us off that they thought your arrest was a mistake. So… Sarah and I just went along with it. They asked me about you sending owls into the forest and I told them I didn't know anything about that." Anna looked at Sarah.

"That's what I told the Lieutenant Hayman too," she said, convincingly.

"So, you see?" Gwen chimed, "you're in the clear."

Anna wasn't so sure. "What about Eric? He can't know anything about this or Dunning will have me expelled."

Gwen frowned. "Yeah… and that's a shame, because I'd love to see your dad go after Dunning with a good hex. I'll bet he could get him the sack, for sure." They sat there for a while, recovering the ice cream dripping down around their fingers. Except for Sarah, that is, who seemed to be very concerned about something other than Dunning's future at the school.

"Anna… what happened to you? You know… before the guards came into our room?" Sarah asked, tentatively. "You were holding your owl, and then you started to… you got all smoky and almost black. It was like you were… I don't know… changing into something different."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa. Anna… what's she talking about?" Gwen barked out, the top of her double-scoop wobbling precariously.

Seeing Gwen's surprised reaction, Sarah slowly looked back at Anna. "I'm sorry… I guess I shouldn't have said anything," she muttered apologetically.

"It's all right, Sarah," Anna admitted. "Actually, I'm kind of glad somebody else saw it happen; seeing me change, I mean."

"Change?" Gwen yelped. "Hold-on; what do you mean, _change_?"

Anna took a deep breath and began to tell her friends about the Lethifold, and how the transformation seemed to be brought on by intense levels of hostile emotion. Anna was surprised at how good it felt to finally tell somebody about the thing that had taken residence within her. Gwen sat there, completely lost for words, her ice cream now running down into her lap.

"You're an Animogus?" she asked, blankly.

"Sshhh!" Anna hissed, looking guardedly around them. Hoping beyond reason for Gwen's best response, she cautiously nodded. Gwen didn't let her down.

"ThAT – is – so – cool!" her friend sang out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Anna smiled. "Well, you know… with everything else that's been going on…" she started to explain, but she could see Gwen looked scandalized. Her best friend just couldn't understand why Anna wouldn't have told her this amazing news straight away. "Honestly, it only happened once before I came to Castlewood and I wasn't sure it would ever happen again. And then I was scared that, if it did happen, I wouldn't be able to control it."

"And… can you? Control it, I mean?" Gwen asked, in a tone filled with blatant optimism.

"I think so. I mean… this morning was difficult. It took some quick thinking on Sarah's part to help me, but every time it happens I seem to be able to get myself under control –– eventually."

"Incredible. Oh –– I wish I had that kind of ability," Gwen moaned, longingly. She gave an evil smile and then leaned over to whisper, "We could sneak into the boys' locker room and check out all the seventh-year studs." Anna started to laugh. Once again, her friend had proven her capacity to take an uncomfortable situation and spin it into gold.

"Oh… but the boys wouldn't be safe when Anna transforms into that creature, would they?" Sarah argued, taking the conversation much more seriously than the other two. Gwen and Sarah sat looking at each other before Anna finally spoke.

"I think the boys would be far safer with me as a Lethifold than they would with Gwen sneaking around in their locker room." After a brief moment of silence, the three girls suddenly burst out into disorderly fits of laughter.

43


	25. The Keeper of Verosapt

Chapter 25d28 – The Keeper of Verosapt

Chapter 25

The Keeper of Verosapt

ONE

It was late, and Anna and Sarah had only just entered their dorm room after leaving Gwen in the tower, when there came a quick knock at their door. Sarah gave Anna a weary _what-now_ look before opening the door. It was the Knight Karen Scott. She was escorting Eric, who was standing in the hallway behind her.

"I found this guy lurking around the girl's stairway. Says he knows you," Karen joked. "Should we trust him to behave himself?" Eric didn't wait for an answer and stepped into the room without a hint of emotion on his face. He was looking at Anna, but spoke to Sarah.

"Sarah, I know it's late, but do you think I could have a private moment with my sister?"

"Ah…" Sarah looked at her roommate. Anna looked like a person who, if she could speak freely, would beg her to stay. "Of course. I… ah… still have some homework I need to finish anyway," the girl fibbed. "Let me get my books and I'll get out of your way." After another minute, Sarah was heading out the door. "Take all the time you need," she said, glancing back at Anna who looked resigned to finally facing her brother.

For the first time she could ever remember, Anna was not happy to see Eric. She still didn't have a reason ready, nothing to explain why she was taken early that morning to Dunning's office. Eric thanked Karen and Sarah and slowly closed the door before turning to face his sister.

"You okay?" he said concernedly. Anna nodded, not bothering to reply. "You sure?" She nodded again. "Where have you been? You weren't in class today."

"I… I was over at the stadium," she said, walking over to the stove. "I'm going to make some tea; would you like some?" Eric nodded, and Anna put the kettle on to boil.

"You going to tell me what happened in Dunning's office?"

"Nothing-happened." Anna answered, much too quickly than she had intended. Eric frowned as he reached up to pull two cups down from the cupboard.

"You sure?" His manner was casual, but his voice had a strong prying quality about it.

"How is Hobbs?" Anna asked, suddenly remembering her owl.

"Out of danger, but it'll be a while before he's flying for you again. He's in my room sleeping. You can see him tomorrow."

"But I should make sure he gets…"

"He's fine; tomorrow would be better." Anna reluctantly nodded. Obviously, her brother wasn't going to let her escape so easily.

"What's the matter, Anna? You say you're okay, but I can see you're not. Is there anything you want to tell me?" Anna stared at him. She wanted to tell him everything, but Dunning's threatening face loomed in her mind, replaced only by the image of her father's disappointment as she saw herself trying to explain how she was expelled from Castlewood in her first month. Eric was getting some spoons from the drawer. "You understand that what happened wasn't your fault? I presume the Captain made that clear to you?" Eric asked her, suspiciously. Anna didn't say anything. She was too afraid to speak. There were words on the tip of her tongue trying to come out, and the thought occurred to her that if she were to utter them without care, her whole world could come crashing down upon her head. She could hear herself repeating them over and over, screaming them out - _Dunning is hiding something from our father in the Shadowed Forest._ But then she saw herself standing on the deck of the Allegheny Pride, sailing off the edge of the world and into the black void beyond. Thankfully, Eric spoke first.

"He didn't tell you, did he?" he asked, his voice rising contemptuously.

Anna looked up in surprise. "Tell me? Tell me what?"

"That son of a…" he scoffed angrily, slamming his fist down on the kitchen counter, making Anna jump. Her brother looked like a coiled spring ready to snap. "He drags you out of your room, embarrasses you in front of the entire Hall, and he doesn't have the decency to say — I'm sorry?" Anna stared at him blankly, which only seemed to enrage her brother more.

"It was a mistake –– Anna." And he sat next to her on the couch to tell her the story Lieutenant Hayman had given to him about the smuggling ring in the forest. Anna listened carefully and was astonished at the length Dunning had gone to cover his tracks. She knew the story the Captain had given his lieutenant was concocted fiction and, once again, Anna was left with an ill feeling about Dunning's real motives.

"So," Eric finished, "as you can see, it was all about nothing, just a huge mistake. Dunning sent his apologies to our family through Hayman's office, but I'm shocked he didn't tell you this directly," her brother fumed.

"It's okay, Eric," Anna said, feeling somewhat relieved she didn't have to explain what had really happened.

"It's not okay!" he yelled, rising to his feet again. "Tomorrow, I'm going have a talk with Dunning," he blistered, his rage increasing by the second. "His attitude toward our family is becoming intolerable. I don't know what his problem is, but I'm sick and tired of dealing with him. I'll schedule a meeting with the Chancellor if that's what it takes and, if I have to, I'll go to father and…"

"Please, Eric," Anna said, "I'd just like to forget about it, okay? Just… can you please… just let it go?"

Eric glared at her. "NO! Damn-it, Anna, NO! I won't let it go. I've had it! Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Please," Anna pleaded, placing her forehead into her hands. Her head felt like it was being squeezed in an iron vise.

"HE TOOK YOU! HE TOOK YOU OUT OF YOUR ROOM," Eric screamed, his fists clinched in fury. "OUT OF THE HALL, AND AWAY FROM ME!" His face was hot with rage as he heaved one of the teacups against the wall, smashing it to bits. "HOW… DARE HE! How dare he presume to treat a member of our family like this without regard to…?"

"Pleeeasee, Eric"

"After everything our family has done for this school…"

"Eric…"

"I WON'T PUT UP WITH IT! I WON'T — DO YOU HEAR ME!" he said, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"ERIC!" screamed Anna back; her head felt like it was going to explode. Her brother spun around to glare at her. "PLEASE, listen to me… I need to put this behind me. Can't you understand that? I need you to let it go. Please, I'm begging you. Just… for me… don't push this, okay?"

Eric stared in horror at his sister, and then frowned suspiciously. "What _exactly_ happened in the dungeons this morning?" he yelled.

Anna thought quickly about what Sarah and Gwen had told her. "Nothing… HAPPENED! OKAY? He just asked me some stupid questions about sending owls in the forest. I… I told him I didn't know anything about that," she lied, waving her hand at him in open irritation.

"And that's all? Nothing more?"

"Nothing..." she said, rubbing the back of her throbbing head.

Eric wasn't sure. "So why didn't you return to class today, and why didn't you come back to check on Hobbs?"

"I… it's… well, I was upset. I thought Hobbs was …maybe dead… and… I was too afraid to see for myself."

Eric looked fixedly at her, still unconvinced he was hearing everything he should. Gripping his hands behind his back, he started to pace worriedly across the room, all the time glaring at his sister. His eyes were probing her for any subtleties in her manner, anything that would tell him she was hiding something more. Anna tried not to look at him and, after what seemed an eternity Eric took a deep clearing breath.

"I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. This wasn't your fault. Forgive me," he bristled. Anna nodded, still not meeting his stare. She was suddenly amazed at how much her brother reminded her of her father.

"You… would tell me, of course, if something did happen to you?" he said, trying to compose himself. "If Dunning ever…" he suddenly broke off, his obsessive pacing unexpectedly halted in mid-step. For a moment, it seemed as if someone had cast a spell on her brother, freezing him to the spot where he stood. He looked transfixed, unable to move. Anna looked around the room; _maybe they won't alone, perhaps Dunning… but… no._ She was about to say something when Eric finally spoke.

"Anna… what is that?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at something behind her. Anna leaned over the couch to look into her half-lit bedroom; the only thing visible was her dresser sitting in the shadows beyond. She looked back at her brother.

"What do you mean?" she said, somewhat relieved to hear her brother speaking again. Eric's face was slack, his eyes wide as he stared into the space behind her. He slowly raised his hand to point at her dresser.

"That!" he whispered, and he walked past her to the open door. Anna stood to follow, trying to see where he was pointing. She looked again and realized he was directing her toward something sitting upon the dresser.

"Oh, you mean my kaleidoscope?" Anna had unpacked her favorite treasure given to her by their father the day before. Eric quickly turned to look back at her.

"Kaleidoscope? Where did it come from?" He took another step toward the doorway, but stopped at the threshold.

"Daddy gave it to me before we left for school. Meredith said it belonged to our Grandmother." Eric shot her an incredulous look.

"What grandmother?"

Anna thought he was being silly. "Our grandmother!" she said smiling, as if Eric was being dim on purpose. Suddenly, Anna's face fell as a wave of unexpected comprehension dawned on her. "Oh… you mean… your Grandmother or mine?" she surmised, quickly remembering they had different mothers. "Uh," Anna hesitated as she looked back at the scope, "now that I think about it, I'm not sure. Meredith told me she used to play with my Grandmother Mary when they were children. She showed me how the scope works. Here… let me show you," and Anna stepped into the bedroom and moved to turn up the lamps.

"No… stop!" Eric called to her. Anna turned.

"What? Eric, what's the matter?"

Her brother stood rooted at the doorway unwilling to move, and Anna recognized the look now stealing across his face. It was fear. With some uncertainty, he finally stepped forward in front of the scope. He began to tilt his head left and then right, looking carefully around at the jeweled encrusted kaleidoscope as if inspecting a rare museum piece. He straightened and then stepped back.

"Your grandmother's name was Mary Jennings. She was Victoria's mother," he said, not taking his eyes off the scope. He hesitated and then took another step back, then another, his arms folded in front of his chest as he stood gazing at the scope. Anna could see his eyes struggling to make out the details of the object in the dark even as he continued to step further away from it. He took another step back and stopped to stare at the scope again, titling his head to the side as he struggled to see through the gloom.

"What – are – you – doing?" Anna chanted, smiling in amusement. Eric turned to look at her for a moment and then walked past her to the beds on the other side of the bedroom. His eyes moved to the bed against the wall before turning to sit. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, as if trying to excavate some far off memory. He slowly opened his eyes and then turned again to stare at the scope.

"It can't be," he whispered. He looked up at Anna, his voice faltering somewhat as he spoke. "Anna –– you were about to show me something. How it worked, you said?" Anna stared back at her brother totally bewildered at the very odd way he was acting.

"Yeah, okay. It's simple really," and she turned to walk toward the dresser. Then she looked back. "You want to see?" Eric didn't move. He seemed somewhat frightened at what Anna was about to do.

"No," he said quickly, almost to himself. "Go ahead, do what you need to do."

Anna frowned, and turned to the scope. She ran her finger down the length of one of its legs and then tapped it twice. The soft, blue light began to glow forth from the scope's lens, bringing with it the familiar array of colored shapes. The shapes moved in and out of focus, and then started to change into the flattened animal cutouts Anna had come to love. She turned to smile at her brother through the multi-colored shapes now floating in the air between them.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she said, staring off into the distant spaces of the room. "I think it's one of the most wonderful…" she suddenly halted. She could see Eric's head was tilted back again, as if listening to some mysterious song playing in the air around them. Anna stepped over to her brother and watched as the flashing lights of the scope danced across his closed eyelids. "Eric… what's the matter?"

His eyes suddenly popped open. "That's it!" He quickly stood. "That's what I saw!"

"What? What are you…?"

"Anna, remember when I told you about the night of my fourth birthday, when Victoria came into my room with that strange woman I heard?"

"Yes…" Anna replied slowly.

"Remember when I said I saw those strange lights in the room, and then something sitting on my dresser in the dark after they left?"

"Yes."

"Well that's it! That's what I saw," he said, pointing at the scope. Anna was stunned.

"Are you sure?" she said, disbelievingly.

"Yes, I'm positive. That was the device. What else does it do?" he asked her, excitedly. Anna walked over to the dresser once more and Eric could see her fidgeting at the base of the scope again. Instantly, the flattened shapes were transformed into detailed replicas of animals dancing, flying and swimming through the air around them.

"Astounding!" he said, turning in a circle to watch them move about. He looked again at Anna. "Okay… what else?" His eyes were wide with sharp anticipation.

"What do you mean?"

"You know — make it talk, now."

"Make it… make it talk? But it doesn't talk…"

Eric frowned. "But it does. I heard it speaking that night. Your mother and that woman got it to speak. They were asking it questions. You know… about that person lost in the forest."

"But, I've never heard it speak before; Meredith didn't show me that." Anna replied, uncertainly. Eric stepped up to the dresser to look at the kaleidoscope more closely.

"It does speak, I assure you. Meredith probably just didn't know it could. Show me what you did," he said, motioning her back to the scope. Anna reached over and tapped the scope, which stopped the display. Eric reached over to turn up the lamp on the wall while Anna showed him where to touch the scope's legs. Soon, the splendid colored animals were floating and galloping through the air once more. Eric looked down to inspect the device again.

"There must be a way…" he said, tapping the third leg, and then other parts of the scope. Nothing happened. Eric put a hand on his chin to think. Then his attention was drawn to a large red ruby prominently displayed on top of the scope's barrel. He smiled, and then reached up to tap the gem, still nothing. He tapped it again, tried to turn it, and then looked carefully around at the ruby's edges. He peered under its mounting and then stood straight to stare at it once more. "You try," he said to Anna, without looking at her.

"Right here?" she said, putting her hand on top of the gem. He nodded. Anna pushed on it and rubbed it as her brother did before. Still, nothing happened. And then, in the far-back regions of her mind, Anna heard what sounded like a gust of wind blowing through her head, and then a soft, growing voice began to speak to her.

"_You must say the words…" _Anna snatched her hand back in surprise and the voice immediately faded off.

"What's the matter?" Eric snapped, looking apprehensively at her.

Anna stared at her brother for a moment, listening for the voices in her mind again. "Wait-a-minute," she said, frowning. She cautiously placed both of her hands on the scope and closed her eyes. Running her fingers almost lovingly across its rough surface, Anna concentrated hard on the object as she had done before with the stones in her History of Magic class. Anna began to hear it again, a wispy almost singing voice in the back of her mind speaking to her.

"_You must say the words,"_ the voice repeated, more clearly this time.

"What are the words?" Anna asked under her breath.

"What?" Eric replied.

"Ssshh!" Anna hissed, keeping her eyes closed and continuing to move her hands over the scope, as if hoping to find the exact spot in which she might best tune in the voice that was trying to speak to her. She listened intently to the whispers, floating like a gentle breeze through her mind. She finally opened her eyes and released the scope. She placed the palm of her hand on top of the large ruby and said, "The Keeper commands you to speak." Instantly, a beam of red light burst forth through her hand toward the ceiling. Anna yanked back in shock, and Eric grabbed her by the shoulders to pull her away from the dresser.

The beam spread itself wide like a fan opening before them and then began to glow in its center with billowing clouds of gray smoke. It looked like a swelling explosion coming at them but never really entering the room. They could hear the echo of birds and insects, chirping and squawking in the room around them, like the sounds one would hear in some far-off jungle. An object could be seen coming into view through the smoke; something very large was hunched over and loping forward on its knuckles to greet them. Eric and Anna stared blankly in amazement at the face of a very old gorilla, glaring at them from amidst the red glow.

"_Where is the Keeper?"_ the thing said, in a deep, bad-tempered voice. Eric and Anna were half startled and amazed at the sight before them. _"Who hath called me from my forest?"_

"I suppose –– I did?" Anna replied, meekly. The gorilla glowered down at her.

"_Art thou the proper Keeper of the Scope of Verosapt?"_he asked, in a tone of irritated doubt.The great ape was massively muscular, but very old. Anna could see the fur of his beard sticking out from the sides of his face. Once ebony black, it was now silver-gray with age, but his deep penetrating eyes were bright and alert.

"The… Keeper of what?" Anna asked it, sounding confused.

The grayed head bared his teeth. _"Simple human. How didst it come into possession of the gem-encrusted scope?"_

"My father gave it to me. It belonged to my mother and my Grandmother Mary, before her," Anna explained.

"_Hmmm,"_ the head grumbled skeptically. _"Place thy hand upon the ruby of YU."_

"Anna, this is the same voice that I heard speaking that night to your mother," Eric whispered. "Be very careful."

"_On the blood-stone, human!"_ the gorilla growled. Anna cautiously raised her hand and then watched the image above her wobble momentarily as she pressed down upon the ruby. The creature looked down under his chin, staring almost distrustfully at her fingers. A green light shot up through the back of Anna's hand. It turned yellow and then swiftly to blue, back to green, orange, green again, white, purple, and then to red. The light changed again and again, blazing through Anna's hand like a beacon through a dense fog. Finally, the light seemed to settle on purple, and the gorilla groaned in a tone of impending foreboding. The stone turned cold as the light went out and Anna lowered her hand. The interrogation was over.

"_Thou art, indeed, the proper owner of the scope,"_ the beast said, glumly. He then peered out at her. _"Where is thy mother?"_

"My… mother? My mother is dead, " Anna replied somberly.

The gorilla scoffed. _"We shall see,"_ he said, in a distrustful manner. He then closed his eyes and raised his head as if checking the cosmos around them for the truth. Eric leaned in to his sister while they waited.

"Anna, I want you to ask him who was with Victoria the night they were in my room." Anna looked hesitant, her eyes darting back and forth into her brother's stare. He nodded her on.

"_It… is true,"_ interrupted the image in a low grumble, his eyes still closed as he looked suspiciously into the past. He tilted down to stare at Anna. _"Victoria Grayson is dead. Nearest thirteen years dead and dying."_

Anna frowned. "Yes," she replied, mournfully.

"_Then… thou art the proper Keeper of the Verosapt,"_ the ape concluded reluctantly. Anna felt Eric give her a nudge.

She swallowed hard and then, summoning her courage forward, she said, "I'd like to ask you a question about the last time you spoke with my mother." The gorilla looked down at her, his lip curling like a wave across his fanged teeth.

"_I am the representative of creature truth and knowledge,"_ he said, his voice filled with meaningful pride. _"Passed to me through the eyes of my brother creatures, thou hast but to ask the question of choice, but only once on or after the date of entry."_

Anna looked at Eric. "What does that mean, the date of entry?"

"I think… he means your birthday."

"Oh!" She looked up at the gorilla again. "So… I can ask you any question I like on my birthday?"

"_One question on or after the date of its entry, and, so be it, one question every year following the first."_

"Oh, so I get one question every year," Anna said, more gratifyingly.

"_And who is this human with thee, daughter of Victoria?"_

"This is my brother, Eric," Anna said, as if introducing a member of her family to someone she had just met at a party.

The ape grumbled ominously. _"Place thy hand on the stone,"_ he said.

Eric stepped forward, placed his palm upon the ruby, and watched as the lights flashed through the flesh of his skin. The beams rotated through a spectrum of dazzling color, finally stopping on green. Eric quickly snatched his hand away as the ape roared.

"_Thou art not of Jennings' blood. This human willst be ignored."_

"Anna and I share the same father," Eric explained.

"_I ignore the human who is speaking,"_ the ape replied, maliciously.

"Well that's not very nice," Anna complained. "So… you can't tell me anything until my birthday, and then I can ask you anything I wish?'

"_One question…"_

"On or after the day of my entry," Anna repeated in a funny singsong voice. "Yeah, I heard that," she said, boringly. The ape growled at her. "Okay then," she said, looking nervously at the head floating over her dresser, "how do I… ah… shut you off then?"

The ape sneered. _"Shut me off?"_

"Yeah, you know… power you down? Pull the plug? Put you back in your bottle? Hocus-Pocus and close sesame?" The ape grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like, _insane human_. Anna rolled her eyes. "How do I make you go away?" The ape jerked back in a manner redolent of being highly affronted.

"_Touch the gem of YU thrice,"_ he snarled back. Anna reached up and tapped the ruby three times. The array of color floating in the room started to withdraw into the barrel of the kaleidoscope as the ape grumbled his final words of instruction.

"_The creatures of Verosapt await thy question, Keeper Jennings. Thou art welcome in our forest. Return to us on the date of thine entry…" _he said, in a deep fading voice as his face began to disappear into the swirling haze behind him. The fan of light closed into a fine red beam, which then dropped down into the ruby and disappeared with a soft click. The lights in the room began to brighten on their own.

"Amazing," Eric said, squinting as the lights came up.

"Yeah, that's pretty cool. So I can ask it anything I want after my birthday in November." Anna smiled. "Maybe I should ask what Daddy's getting me for Christmas."

Eric seemed deep in troubled thought. "So, that's why Victoria was using this device. They were looking for somebody, and were using the scope to help them find him." Anna's mood changed abruptly. She _had been_ excited about using the scope to her advantage, but then something ominous slipped into her mind.

"Eric, do you think this device is… well… do think it might be… evil?" Her brother looked somewhat surprised by the question.

"Evil? What makes you say that?"

"Because… from what you told me, my mother died about a week after talking to this thing. Is it possible the scope had something to do with her death?"

"I don't see how. I never really knew that much about Victoria's death, but Father always said it was an accident. I would be more concerned about that woman who was with Victoria at the time. It was almost like she had a power over your mother. She was the one who was demanding that Victoria use the scope."

The room seemed suddenly very cold to Anna. The thought of something sitting here, in her room, that had taken a part in the events leading up to her mother's death instantly seemed to change her opinion of it. She had a sudden urge to open the window and heave the scope into the night.

"Anna, can I ask you a question?" Eric's voice yanked Anna's thoughts back to the present.

"What? Oh… of course."

"What exactly happened to you when you placed your hands on the scope? You seemed to enter into a deep level of concentration, and then you came up with the words necessary to make the device work for us. How did that happen?" Anna was taken aback. It felt like her brother was peering into a window of her soul as she undressed. She was embarrassed.

"I… don't know how I do it," she said, hesitantly, "but I could hear it speaking to me," and she told Eric about the voices she had heard both from the scope and from the walls of Castlewood during her first week at school. Eric listened intently without interruption until Anna had finished. He then walked back into the living room and started to pace again.

"This ability you have is simply amazing, Anna. You seem to have a connection to magical objects and places of great interest to the Wizarding world. It's remarkable because… well… the possibilities are really endless. You could tell us so much about the magic around us."

Anna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eric turned to stare at his sister, somewhat surprised by her lack of understanding. He motioned for her to sit on the couch and then sat next to her. "Listen… a long time ago, Father took me to the Ministry offices in Los Angeles. He wanted to show me some of the things he did there for the Ministry there. He gave me a tour of the entire building and I saw some of the most incredible things during our visit. One of the places I'll always remember was the Department of Unknown Magical Devices. There were objects kept in there that would blow your mind, and dozens of witches and wizards who dedicate their lives to the study of them.

"There was this one area they called _The Hall of Wonders_. This place has some of the most amazing and powerful devices under study at the Ministry, but they can't figure out exactly what they do because they're hundreds of years old. My God, Anna, you could probably go in there and solve all of these mysteries for them in a single day. Why, you could probably…" but Eric suddenly stopped. His mind began to slide some of the pieces of information he had gathered together, and then the obvious finally dawned on him. "There's still more… isn't there?" he said, staring at his sister. "You haven't told me everything yet, have you?"

Anna was quietly listening to Eric speak, but then realized she wasn't really hearing what he was saying at all. Lost in her own thoughts, she finally looked at him. "What?"

"What other abilities do you have, Anna? This isn't all it, is it?"

Anna sat there for a moment contemplating what she should say. She stood and began wringing her hands nervously. There was more, so much more she could tell her brother. She could tell him about the evil one, the castle in the forest, and how they were somehow connected to her birth. But Dunning's face loomed in her mind once more.

_No, I can't. That devil would throw me out! _Anna thought, worriedly.But there was something else she wanted to tell Eric, something just as important. She stared at her brother, wondering if what she had to tell him would drive him away from her.

"What is it, Anna? What's the matter?"

Anna sat down again. She was finally ready to tell him more. "This _connection_, you called it," she began, "is with more than just the magical objects and places. It's also with the animals and a lot of magical creatures as well." Anna told Eric about the extraordinary events in the ocean the day before receiving her letter from Castlewood. She also told him about her time with Swooper, and about her ability to sense and understand what the owls and creatures were feeling when they were close to her. Eric listened without interruption again until Anna had completely finished. He finally shook his head.

"It is amazing, but… more importantly, I think it explains a lot," he said satisfactorily.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… up to this year we've all just assumed you were a squib, but now I'm starting to believe that's never been true. You've always had a strong connection with the animals and creatures, going all the way back to when you were a baby. I remember seeing you playing on the lawns of the estate as a small child, but you were never alone. Meredith would constantly complain about not being able to leave you, because she would always find you surrounded by the things living in the forest… rabbits, birds, squirrels, owls." Eric began to chuckle. "I remember one day Gabby was supposed to be watching you. She started screaming at the top of her lungs because she found you playing with a large mountain lion that you liked to call your _kitty_." Anna smiled. "The animals would never hurt you. They just always seemed to… want to be near you." Eric nodded. "This also explains why you're so close to Gabby and Widwick."

Anna's smile suddenly dropped. "Gabby and Widwick are my friends. They're not animals."

Eric grinned. "No, of course not. The house elves are very magical creatures, but you can't deny they've always been very loving and protective of you; much more than what they've shown to the rest of the Grayson children." Anna thought for a moment, and then decided to plunge forward.

"There's something else I have to tell you, Eric, and I don't know if I want to," she said, looking at her brother mournfully. He could tell she wasn't sure she wanted to continue.

"All right. So? What is it?"

Anna took a deep breath. "Remember when I told Daddy that I thought I had turned into that creature? Daddy called it the Lethifold?" Eric looked surprised.

"Yes…"

"Well, I wasn't imagining that. It was me you saw attacking Damon that night. The creature wasn't something that came in from the outside, it was me all along." Eric looked shocked, and then highly skeptical.

"How do you know this? I mean… if you were attacked…"

"I wasn't attacked, Eric," Anna argued. "It's happened again since arriving here at the school. And… well, it happened this morning after Hobbs was injured. Sarah Bell saw it happen; I mean, she saw me change."

"What? You mean… you actually became that… that… thing again?" Anna nodded, and then started to tell Eric about her experiences. She explained the dream she had at home that lead to her attacking Damon, and what their father had told her about her coming into contact with the Lethifold in Indonesia when she was a child, and how she purposefully made the transformation occur after her fight with Debbie Dunning. When she had finished, Anna waited anxiously for her brother's reaction. He seemed too shocked to speak, completely taken back by her confessions.

After a length of time that seemed to pass like hours, Anna spoke again. "Chancellor Thordarson knows as well." Eric bolted up suddenly.

"WHAT? But… but how…?"

"Daddy told him what I said after the attack on Damon, and then I talked about it with him after the Joining Ceremony when I was in the hospital. I know Daddy doesn't believe me yet, but the Chancellor does."

"But why? Thordarson hasn't seen you change, has he?"

"No. He believes me because of what he saw happen to me at the Joining," and Anna explained what Thordarson had said about Merlin, the Sithmaith, and how it all connected to her becoming the first Guardian in centuries. After she had finished, silence took hold of the room once again. Eric's mind had lost its thread of reason. He dropped his head into his hands, trying desperately to reel in his emotions and piece together the remnants that were his jumbled thoughts. He stared at Anna with a look of utter disbelief, which over time slowly changed into forced acknowledgment. He lay back against his seat to stare up at the ceiling.

"What was it Doctor Nelland told us?" Eric whispered to himself.

"Who?"

He looked over at her. "Doctor Nelland. You know… the family healer who assisted Doctor Pearl with your sorcerer's tests? That night, at dinner, Nelland told us about the strong similarities between you and what happened to Merlin. The fact that your abilities showed up so late in life, and that Merlin was a spontaneous Animogus. And now we learn that the two of you have been given the same name… this title they called Sithmaith. _Sithmaith_…" he said, frowning, "I wonder what that means, exactly?"

"_Bringer of Peace_," Anna replied. Then she glanced up at Eric and shrugged. "Professor Thordarson told me."

Eric nodded. "From what you say the Chancellor told you, Merlin was the leader of the Guardians of old. And now, it's happened again here at Castlewood. That would make you…" he paused slightly, "the leader of the Guardians now."

"The leader?" Anna smirked. "No… I'm just a first-year. I'm a Guardian… just like you. I'm not the leader of anything!"

"But… that's not true, Anna," Eric said, realizing the certainty of what he was saying as he spoke. "When I walked through the Mirror of Enlightenment the second time, the voices told me I would be joining an army under the leadership of the Sithmaith. They also said they would bring others to join us. We're all here to help you, Anna. You are the Sithmaith they were talking about. Only you have been given these extraordinary abilities. Like it or not, you are our leader; you are what magic has brought about to protect itself from this future battle to come that you yourself told us about in Thordarson's office after Father was attacked. I am convinced, more than ever, that what we have to do here at the school is even more important than anybody understands. We must find a way to sustain the new Union. Others must be convinced to join us."

"But how will we do that?"

Eric suddenly stood. "Let me worry about that for now. I think it's time we called it a night." He kissed Anna on the cheek. "I'm glad you told me about this, Anna. Things make much more sense to me now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I want to get back to my room and send an urgent owl to our father."

Anna looked up. "What? You're going to write to Daddy tonight?"

"Yes, Anna. I want to tell him what you've told me. No secrets from the family, remember?"

"But –– you're not going to tell him about my arrest are you?"

Eric hesitated. "Well, no. I wasn't going to mention that because I've received a strong commitment from Lieutenant Hayman to keep me informed on the investigation that lead to your being improperly detained. But I feel we have to tell Father about the Lethifold and these other abilities. Wouldn't you agree?"

Anna wasn't sure she wanted Eric to do that. What would her father say?_ What will he think?_ She reluctantly decided to trust her brother's judgment. "All right," she said, hesitantly, "if you really think that's what's best…"

"I do," he said, confidently.

Her brother took Anna by the hand as he headed for the door. "Anna, getting back to this thing with Dunning, I'm going to be honest with you –– it's gonna have to be straightened out. I believe he's gone too far already, and this problem will only get worse until we take action. But… out of respect for what's already happened to you today, I'll… leave it alone for now." He then pulled out his wand and pointed it at the floor. "_Reparo!_" Little shards of porcelain spun into a circle and, with a slight crackling sound, formed themselves back into a teacup. _"Accio!"_ The cup flew into his hand. He looked back at Anna and handed her the cup. "But sooner or later you'll see… problems like this just don't go away, they have to be stomped out." He bent down to look directly into his sister's eyes. "You do understand what I'm saying, right?" Anna nodded, and after a quick hug, her brother left her.

Twenty minutes later, Anna was lying in her four-poster bed, trying to force her mind to think of happier times, but she couldn't stop Dunning's face from invading her thoughts again and again. She finally rolled over and tried to relive her ride on Swooper. As Anna drifted off, the images of winged horses flying through the tree-lined alleyways surrounding Spellsburg made her smile, but it wasn't long before Anna's dreams took her back to Dunning's office once again. She was standing over the Captain's body, hitting him again and again with a wooden club. The floor and her arms were covered in blood as Anna raged on.

SMACK… SMACK… SMACK.

She looked up in shock at her father standing over her; his face, like her own, was spattered in Dunning's blood. He looked heartbroken as he reached out to her. "Madness… beware the abyss." His voice slowly faded off, "…the abyss… the abyss."

Anna suddenly jerked up in her bed with a start. She was wet with sweat, and she looked desperately at her arms for the blood covering them in her dream. Looking over at Sarah, she could see her roommate curled up, barely breathing in quiet slumber across the room.

"I'm sorry daddy… I'm so sorry," Anna whispered, looking out her window. She slid back down into her blankets and quietly began to cry.

TWO

The next morning was a whirlwind of blinding activity. Both Anna and Sarah had slept late, and it was only due to Gabby bouncing violently on their chests that they woke up at all.

"You's must get up!" the elf screamed. "It's late. You is going to miss yer breakfast," she yelped frantically. The two girls crashed into one another several times as they dashed about, rushing to get out the door. Throwing their bags over their shoulders, they tried to step out into the busy hallway.

The corridor was full of energetic girls, bustling up and down the hall, talking and checking their bags to make sure they had what they needed, and thinking eagerly about the breakfast waiting for them downstairs. Anna noticed some of the girls staring at her Guardian robes again and whispering to one another as she passed.

As Anna and Sarah were buffeted along, they heard what sounded like the single _dong_ of a bell ring out. Everybody stopped and turned to see where the sound had come from, and then noticed something odd hanging above Anna's door.

Frowning at each other, Anna and Sarah made their way back through the crowd who had stopped pushing to let them pass. They stopped to look at the object, which resembled a very old clock, but it wasn't a clock at all. They could clearly see there were too many numbers on its round face. At its top was the number fifty, and smaller numbers were printed at what were normally the three, six, and nine o'clock positions around its edge, and where the numbers twelve, twenty-five and thirty seven were plainly visible. There was only one hand on the device, which was moving in a quick circle around its painted face. The clock let out another loud _dong_ as the hand clicked to a stop on what would have been the number one. For a moment, it shuddered there, and then slowly moved to the right, stopping at the number two. It let out an odd sounding _ka-chunk-ching _and then was still. Letters in purple flame began to form on the clock's face. Anna lifted high on her toes and squinted to make out the message becoming clearer on the object's front.

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[48]**_

"Don't worry," said a voice behind them. They turned to find Karen Scott standing there. "Only forty-eight more Guardians to go and you have a whole year to find them. I'm sure you'll get there," she said, brightly.

"What… what's this supposed to be?" Anna asked, pointing at the strange device above their door.

"Professor Van Doorn gave it to me to put there. There's another one just like it in the Rotunda over the Guardian's table. It's a running count of all the new Guardians here at the school. It's supposed to be a tool to help you keep track of how close you are to sustaining the Guardian Union."

"How close I am?" Anna said in surprise. "But I can't tell people to walk through the Mirror of Enlightenment," she said, frustrated. Once again, she felt accused of being some kind of leader. "That's not my job to do that," she insisted.

Karen frowned, looked at Sarah, and then back to Anna. "Ah… yeah, I think it is. I mean, everybody here at the castle is willing to help you in anyway we can, but it really falls to you to make it happen, doesn't it? At least that's what's being said in all the meetings of the Knights. The Student President told us the teachers are behind you one hundred percent, and we're all hoping you succeed."

Anna was staggered. "Are you saying it's entirely up to me to find fifty people to walk through the mirror again?"

"Of course! Well, actually, I would expect it'd be a lot more than fifty."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to remember, you need fifty Guardians at the end of the year to sustain the Union. But not everybody that agrees to walk through the mirror will become a Guardian. I figure you'll probably need a couple hundred people to agree to walk through."

"A couple," Anna gulped, "of hundred?"

"At least! Maybe more."

"But… how? How am I going to get them to do that?"

Karen smiled and leaned in. "Well that's the challenge — isn't it? You have to find a way, make it happen!"

"But… how…" Anna sputtered, nervously.

"Now you understand why the counter was put above your door. I know we have a whole year ahead, but what you have to do is going to take planning and persuasion. You really didn't think the glory of what you're doing was going to come without a lot of hard work, did you?"

Anna didn't know what to say. "I, ah… no… not me!" she insisted, her face reddening.

Karen frowned. She looked like a person reevaluating everything she knew about Anna. Then, without warning, she reached out and grabbed Anna by the arm. "Excuse us a minute, Sarah," she said, turning Anna around and opening the door to their room in front of her. "Get in there," she said curtly, giving Anna a shove through the doorway. The Knight closed the door behind them and then turned to face Anna. "What the hell is wrong with you, Grayson?" she said, angrily.

Anna was surprised. "What are you talking about?"

Karen folded her arms and stared at her disbelievingly. "Anna, you've been given an enormous opportunity this year, but I get the feeling you're not taking it very seriously." Anna dropped her bag defiantly to the floor as Karen continued. "I don't believe you understand what's going on here. You're the first Guardian at Castlewood, and the first in the Wizarding world in over fifteen hundred years. Haven't you been reading the newspapers? Wizards all over the world are talking about what's going on here."

"What? They're talking about me?"

"Well –– not you… specifically. I believe your father and the Chancellor have been working to keep your name out of the papers. I think they're trying to steer the story away from you and more toward the Guardians in general. But you have to understand how important this is for the school."

"Now you're starting to sound like Eric," Anna scoffed, in frustration.

"Good!" Karen replied, smugly. "Now I know I'm telling you something you should already know." She stepped forward and scowled. "I should think what Eric's done, what he's sacrificed for you, would wake you up."

Anna looked surprised again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? Your job this year is to work on your lessons, and finish what you've started with the Guardians."

"But I didn't start this! I didn't go out there and ask to be some…" Karen waved a halting stop so she could continue.

"I know you didn't ask for this to happen, but it has. It's on you to sustain this Union. I'm sorry if you didn't understand this from the beginning. This means you're going to have to learn everything you can about what it means to be a Guardian, and then move out into the school like an evangelist to explain why they're here. You'll have to persuade, enlighten, and show them by example why they should listen to you. And, by the way, it certainly doesn't help your cause when people find out you were put in detention on your first day."

Anna looked scandalized. "Wait a minute…" she said, ready to argue her side of what happened, but Karen cut her off again.

"And it doesn't do any good for the other students see you marched into Captain Dunning's office under Crimson escort.

"That's not fair, Karen. You don't understand what happened…"

"I don't care what happened! I'm just telling you how it looks! And it looks really bad."

Anna dropped her head in disgust. She remembered the stares she saw in the hallway the morning she was arrested, and then realized what that must have looked like to the rest of the students. Anna stood staring at the floor between them.

"Listen," Karen said, in a much softer tone. "I've known Eric for more than five years, and I've never seen him to do anything important without thought. But his leaving the Server Dynasty to follow you to the Guardians has stunned this entire Hall. If you haven't noticed, everyone's walking around in a state of shock around here. You have to understand, we expected Eric to be the next Student President and, not only did that not happen, but we lost him to another Union altogether. Fortunately, I know him well enough to understand why he did it. His love for you and his sense of family honor are coming together here, and he'll do anything to make sure that what you've started succeeds in the end. He's sacrificed a lot for you; don't make what he's done for the Guardians meaningless, and don't let our losing him come to nothing important. There are a lot of us who care too much about Eric, and this school, to let you blow this thing off without a fight. You have to somehow show the rest of the students a reason to follow you."

"But… how do I do that?" Anna protested.

"I can't tell you that, Anna, but it's up to you to find out. I personally think it has something to do with who and what you are inside. Most of the oldest families in the Wizarding world have set the Grayson name apart with distinction. You have a proud family history and an honorable heritage. Why is that? What makes the Graysons so special? Why is that name synonymous with honor and integrity?" Karen stepped forward and jabbed Anna in the chest. "If you look for the answers to these questions, I believe you'll find a strong starting point for the things you have to do this year." Finally, there was silence. For a long time, Anna stood there thinking about Karen's words and advice.

"Well… I've said my piece, so I'll leave you with an old _Defender_ adage." The Server Knight straightened. "You have a job to do, Grayson. So –– get on it!" She turned and opened the door to leave.

"Karen," Anna called to her somberly. She looked up at the Knight, standing in the open doorway. "I don't know what to do… or… what I can say, except… well… thanks."

The girl smiled. "No problem, glad I could help. Listen, you've already missed breakfast, and we'll both be late for class if we don't get going," she reminded her. Anna nodded, grabbed her bag, and strode across the room to follow her into the hallway.

As Anna closed the door, the counter above her head let out another loud _dong_. Anna looked up and watched in stunned silence as the arm swung down from the number two to the number three.

_Ka-chunk-ching!_

Anna gasped as she watched the purple message on the counter's face brighten as it changed to read:

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[47]**_

"There you go…" Karen said, beaming with satisfaction. "You see what a little positive inspiration can do?"

"I don't believe it!" Anna said, looking quickly back at Karen. "There's another Guardian at Castlewood!"

"Apparently so; must have just happened."

Anna couldn't help smiling. "I wonder who it is," she said in disbelief.

They trotted down the empty stairs into the Server Hall and then finally parted to go their separate ways.

"See you later!" Karen said gaily, waving back to Anna. Feeling somewhat emboldened by the thought of a new Guardian in the castle, Anna suddenly had a thought.

"Hey – Karen!" The Knight turned. "Anything I can say right now to get you to walk through the Mirror of Enlightenment again?"

Karen grinned. "Already did," she replied, and then she pointed down at the embroidered stripes on her sleeve. "Still blue!" she said, proudly.

Anna smiled back. "Damn…"

"But I like your spunk, Grayson. Keep it up!" And with that, the Server Knight turned and walked away.

59


	26. Guardian Good to Go

Chapter 26d24 – Guardian Good to Go

Chapter 26

Guardian Good to Go

ONE

The day that followed had given birth to a very high level of anticipated excitement as Anna went from class to class, searching the corridors and hallways for anybody who might be wearing new Guardian robes. Anna had double Transfiguration in the morning with Professors Nevork and then double Magical Incantations with Professor Titan, which made it extremely difficult to find the newest member of her Union. By mid-day, Anna was disappointed she still had not discovered the new Guardian's identity.

"It might be an older student," said Sarah, as they left Titan's class together. "A lot of the sixth and seventh-years spend most of their time on the other side of the castle in the West tower," she added, encouragingly.

Anna looked over and grinned. "Actually –– for a short while there, Sarah, I thought it might have been you," Anna said, smiling at her roommate and pointing down at the blue server stripe embroidered on her sleeve. Sarah looked surprised.

"Me? Oh dear… I don't think the mirror would allow me to be a Guardian," she answered resignedly.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"Well," she said, in a timid voice, "you and your brother are… so… very brave."

"What are you talking about?"

Sarah paused to consider her thoughts. "You and Eric know how to stand up for yourselves. The way you fought with Captain Dunning and the way you were willing to go flying off on those winged creatures. I couldn't do those things. And Eric is such a strong leader. He's been a Knight for two years, and he's so sure of himself. That's really… so very different than who I am," she finished, and Anna could tell Sarah had been giving the subject a lot of thought.

"Well I don't think you give yourself enough credit," Anna replied. "I think you've already proven how brave you are. You came here all by yourself, didn't you? And you seem to be getting along all right. It took a lot of guts for you to leave home, after everything that had happened to you, and then come to Castlewood." Sarah smiled gratefully. "By the way, have you heard from your father yet?" Anna asked, and she watched as Sarah's smile suddenly fell.

"No… I haven't. I did get a letter from mother though, but she didn't say anything about daddy at all. I think he must still be mad at me," Sarah said, sadly. Anna could see how talking about her father was upsetting her friend. She tried to sound upbeat.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm betting he'll come around soon. I'm sure he loves you very much." Sarah beamed appreciatively at her.

The two girls shared lunch together in the Rotunda and were soon joined by Gwen, who couldn't report seeing any new Guardians anywhere in the castle. Anna looked around for Eric. She felt certain that, being a Guardian Knight, he would surely have been notified about a new student joining their Union, but her brother was nowhere in sight. Anna looked up at the Guardian counter above their table. _Forty-seven more Guardians to go… would they make it?_

After Anna and Sarah had finished their sandwiches, it was off to the North Tower and The Study of the Dark Arts. Anna could tell something odd was going on the moment she entered the room. Several students were gathered in a group near where Anna and Sarah usually sat and, as Anna approached, a hush fell over the circle.

"What's up?" Anna said, smiling at the crowd. Everybody looked to their center and then parted to reveal a girl sitting on a desk grinning broadly.

"Howdy, Grayson! How's it hangin?"

Anna smiled. "Hey, TJ. Listen… did you get that homework assignment Professor Van Doorn…" Anna stopped suddenly as TJ swung her arm around to reveal a single purple stripe embroidered on the sleeve of her robes.

"TJ! YOU? You're the new Guardian?" Anna blurted out.

TJ smiled back at her. "Yep… and I know what you're thinkin'. Neighborhood's goin' straight to the dogs, ain't it?" Anna couldn't help herself. She dropped her bag and grabbed TJ gleefully where she sat.

"This is wonderful," Anna howled, laughing excitedly. As they swayed in a tight embrace, Anna realized she had been so concerned about finding the new Guardian that it never occurred to her it might be somebody she already knew. "This is fantastic!" she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Now don't get all soggy on me —" said TJ, who was dabbing her own eyes. "You have no idea what happens when a girl from Texas gets on to cryin'," she sniffed. "Once we get a-goin', there's no stoppin' it."

"What made you do it? What made you walk through the mirror again?" Anna asked her.

"Well, you know, it looked like you were having sooooo much fun out there by yerself…" Anna smirked at her amusingly. "Then I saw that brother of yours in his Guardian garb and I thought –– whew doggie, put a pair of chaps on that boy and I'm good to go!" Anna rolled her eyes as the rest of the students around them started to laugh.

"But honestly…?" TJ said, turning more serious. "It was that talk we had on the first day of class. What you said made a lot of sense to me, especially the part about protectin' the magical places from a bunch of polecats lookin' to grabem' up for their own selfish purposes. My Pa had some trouble a while back with a group of Muggle Yanks trying to take our land. He got into a lot of trouble with the Ministry for usin' magic to keep what he spent his whole life workin' for," TJ explained, sounding frustrated. "So… I gave myself some cycles to think on it, and then I said, hey –– 'I got no ties to the Defenders'… no offence," she said, glancing over at a girl from the Defenders' Union standing next to her. "I didn't see the harm in knowin' what the mirror might say. So I told Professors Nevork I wanted to do it and they made the arrangements. Next thing ya know, your brother was on my doorstep having my trunk shipped off to the Server Hall. They put me in the room across from you."

"They've already moved you?" Anna asked in surprise. "I don't know why they bothered. I mean… it's not like we have a Guardian Hall yet. What difference does it make where you sleep?"

TJ shrugged. "No biggie. Professors Nevork told me they wanted all the new Guardians together. Since you and Eric were already there… it was just easier to move me."

"So ––" Anna said, smiling at the other students standing around them, "all we need is forty-seven more volunteers to step through the mirror and we'll be…uh… how did you put it TJ? Good to go!"

"I already tried," said a blonde girl in the next row. "It said I still belonged in the Laborers' Union."

"Me too," said a brown haired boy in Defender colors, standing behind them.

TJ looked surprised. "Well I'll be. I guess gettin' fifty Guardians might be a little harder than we thought."

"Maybe so ––" said Anna happily, looking back at TJ again, "but at least now Eric and I won't be alone trying to find them."

TWO

Over the next month, things settled down quite a bit for Anna. So much had happened in the few days before and after her arrival at Castlewood that the weeks that followed seemed rather dull and uninteresting in comparison, but Anna was happy for it. As the days of September faded into October, the balmy nights turned cooler, and the trees surrounding the plateau slowly began to change from their deep emerald green to the dazzling colors of fall. Anna had never seen anything so spectacular in nature, as the Northeast proved its reputation for a color-drenched autumn had not been exaggerated. The mountains surrounding Spellsburg looked as if they were ablaze with fire, and the continuous rain of drying leaves added to Anna's appreciation of the season.

As Halloween quickly approached, several events in October stood out in Anna's mind. The first was the Vollucross tryouts, which she had awaited with eager anticipation. It was the first time Anna and Eric had seen each other riding winged horses, and they were both impressed with what they saw. Eric's skill in the saddle was unmatched as he and a number of fellow seventh-years took to the air to solidify their dominance over the skies of Spellsburg. But Anna's admiration of her brother's talent was nothing compared to the pride Eric felt in seeing Anna on Swooper. Admittedly biased in his evaluation of her ability, Eric could clearly see Anna had easily taken to the sport, and when his sister had returned to the stadium after her ride through the tree-lined alleyways surrounding the city, Anna's place on the flying roster was a foregone conclusion.

But as another month passed, there remained only the three Guardians at the school. Eric and Anna had spent several evenings in the Server library together, trying to find and understand everything they could about the Guardians of old. Their father was a tremendous help as well. He had assigned an entire staff of Goblins the job of researching the Ministry Archives and, as information was located, he promptly sent it by owl to his children. Eric was now confident enough to begin a series of scheduled meetings with the student population at the school, and thus, taking a much more aggressive role in trying to get others to re-enter the Mirror of Enlightenment. Eric was especially worried that the longer they let the new first-years get settled in the less likely they would be to switch Unions as they became more comfortable within their current Dynasties.

The second happy thing that occurred in October was the personal letter Anna had received from her father, which came a few weeks after Eric had sent his owl off to report on Anna's growing abilities. Although her father did not respond immediately, his letter was genuinely supportive of Anna in every way she could have hoped.

_My Dearest Anna,_

_I received your brother's owl some weeks ago concerning the startling news about your newfound abilities. I am sorry I did not write to you sooner, but your brother's letter has launched a series of meetings between myself and a number of trusted family friends and advisors here at the mansion. I felt it important to take the time to understand what was happening to you, and why these changes have taken place so suddenly. My study of the situation continues, but I thought it important to finally write to you with my never-ending love and support, and a father's counsel. _

_First, I agree with your brother. The tasks ahead of you must include doing everything you can to sustain the new Guardian Union. Nearly all of our family's advisors have concluded that what is happening at Castlewood has far-reaching implications for the Wizarding world well beyond what you see in Spellsburg. I shall say no more here, but I look forward to discussing these matters in greater detail with you over the holidays. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you and Eric succeed in your efforts there at Castlewood._

_Your brother has also informed me about your becoming an Animagus. I can only imagine how confusing this must be for you, especially after what occurred here at the mansion before your departure. I am desperate in the hope that you will forgive my lack of understanding for what must have been a truly frightening experience for you. Once again, Professor Thordarson has been extremely helpful to me in grasping what has happened to you. Although none can explain the implications of this, the Chancellor will be working with me to bring in some extra support to help you understand and control this extraordinary skill. Again, you will learn more about this when you return home for Christmas. _

_In closing, I cannot possibly put into words how much I truly miss you by my side. Your leaving for Castlewood was too abrupt and unexpected for me to fully comprehend just what your departure would mean to me. I miss you terribly, my dearest sweet Anna, and I count the days until you and the rest of my children return home to me. I know these are confusing times for you. There are so many questions yet to be answered for all of us. But always know this – I love you, and I am so very proud of you. _

_With undying love always, I will forever be your devoted Father._

Tears fell from Anna's eyes and splattered the pages of her father's letter. She raised it up and clutched it tight to her chest. "I love you too, Daddy," she sobbed, and it was then that she realized just how much she desperately missed her father. She reread the letter several times before noticing the tiny message scrolled on the bottom of the page.

_e4_

Anna smiled and then ran to her trunk. Flipping open the lid, she began to tear through Gabby's carefully folded work until she came upon a small wooden box at the bottom. She grabbed up the box and ran back to the kitchen table. Setting it down, she pressed a small button in the center of its lid, which popped open and several layers of wood began to lift and whirl in several directions to reveal a very old chessboard within.

"Well –– it's about time!" yawned one of the chess pieces sitting in the bottom of the box. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten us." The pieces scampered out of their drawers of blue satin and took their proper places upon the board.

"With whom is the fair maiden battling this evening?" asked a Knight in gallant voice, rearing back on his matching horse.

"My father," Anna replied merrily.

"Oh… a true battle of wits, then," said the white Queen. "These are always the best campaigns," she said, and the rest of the pieces nodded and agreed excitedly.

"I'm afraid there might only be one move tonight. Daddy isn't here with us this evening," Anna explained, and there was an accumulated groan of disappointment from the various pieces.

"Still –– it's nice to be out of the box," said the Queen optimistically.

"So… who is to make the first thrust, my dear?" said the white King who had just strode onto the board to take his queen's hand.

"My daddy," Anna replied. "e4 — Pawn to King-four."

"That's me!" squeaked a white pawn standing in front of his king, who then stepped forward two squares on the board. "Grrrr…" growled the little pawn, menacingly. "Let's get it on!" he said, jabbing his spear forward at the row of black pawns standing at attention in front of him.

"Typical strategy for Mister Grayson," quipped Anna's black Queen, "working to immediately control the center."

Anna giggled and then nodded. "Yep… that's Daddy, all right. He's such a control freak," she added jokingly, leaning over the board to survey her options.

"So, what will it be, my dear?" asked the black King, looking back at her. "Are we playing a quiet game again, Giuoco Piano perhaps?"

Anna thought. She didn't feel like playing defensively right now. Her mind thought about the many difficult tasks ahead of her in sustaining the Guardian Union; she needed to be bold.

"No… Nc6. The Queen's Knight," Anna said, determinedly.

"Oh… we're taking risks this time," said one of Anna's Bishops, "Glory be to the father, this is going to be good!" The black Knight hopped over the pawn in front of him and then strode to the middle. Anna sat there quietly waiting… and watched.

Nearly three thousand miles away, Mister Grayson was at his desk preparing the final wording on a negotiation between two of the leading wizard banks in Eastern Europe. He was exhausted. The agreement was due to the principle parties first thing in the morning, but he knew he wouldn't have the energy to work much longer. He rubbed his eyes, dipped his quill again, and was about to finish the next sentence when he heard a scraping-sliding sound coming from across his office. He looked up and, realizing what it was immediately, he smiled. Tossing his quill down, he got to his feet and walked over to a small table near the entrance to his conference room. A chess set, exactly like the one Anna was watching at Castlewood, was sitting on a small table under a flickering lamp. The black Knight had just finished Anna's move.

"She's there!" Mister Grayson said, smiling. He glanced up at the repaired portrait of Victoria behind his desk. "It's Anna!" he said, excitedly. He pulled up a chair to sit and, looking down at the board, he frowned. "She's in a rather aggressive mood, tonight," he observed, looking at his daughter's opening gambit. "That's my girl. You'll need to be aggressive for what you have to do this year."

"I believe we're playing the Queen of Spain tonight, sir," hinted the white King, looking back at him. Mister Grayson tapped his chin as he thought.

"Hmm… yes… possibly a Spanish opening. All right then, let's prepare for Ruy Lopez and the inevitable d5. Knight to f3!" he bellowed, pointing at the board again. Many of the white pieces began to applaud, apparently pleased with Mister Grayson's response to Anna's aggression.

Anna was resting her chin on her arms at her table, boringly flicking at the ball of dust by her board. Everything was quiet and still. "I wonder if Daddy is home tonight?" she said, in a restless tone. Suddenly a white Knight straightened and moved forward.

"He's there!" Anna shouted. "It's Daddy!" and all of the pieces began to clap happily.

"The game is afoot!" bellowed Anna's King.

The two Graysons played well into the night until Anna lost spectacularly against a forking Queen. Anna moved quickly to set the pieces up to start again, but her father's King stepped off the board to return to his drawer.

"No… wait… let's play one more," Anna pleaded with the King, who was motioning to his Queen to follow him.

"Your father says –– it is late and you should be in bed," the King replied kindly. The other pieces on the board moaned disparagingly.

Anna stretched and then smiled. She pulled open the King and Queen's drawer again. "Can you give him a message for me?"

Mister Grayson was back at his desk working joyously, bolstered by the unexpected contact with his daughter.

"The young Miss Grayson wishes me to relay her enduring love, sir," came a small voice from the opposite corner again, "and a very pleasant and restful evening."

Mister Grayson smiled as he looked up. "Sweet dreams, pumpkin." He dipped his quill and continued working through the night.

THREE

The next afternoon, Anna and Gwen were sharing an early dinner before the start of Anna's first-ever dueling class. "I don't understand why I'm in this club," Anna said, nervously. "I haven't learned any spells I can use in there. Why do you think Professor Thordarson would throw me to the wolves like this?"

"A fair question, but I don't think you have anything to worry about," Gwen said, stuffing the last of her dinner roll into her mouth. Professor Bots is the nicest teacher at the school. I'm sure he'll let you sit things out a while until you're ready. Just stick close to me while we're in there and you'll be fine."

WHAP!

A thin stack of parchment was dropped over Anna's head next to her plate. Anna looked up to see Dowla's scowling down at her.

"Very funny, Anna. Yuk-yuk, ho-ho-ho, oh you're a real hoot, aren't you?" she said bitterly.

Anna looked uncaringly at the stack of paper next to her. "I'm sure you're going to tell me what you're talking about soon enough, right?" she said, glaring back up at her sister.

"Oh… like you don't know. Well your little joke backfired, didn't it? No doubt you thought hopscotch wouldn't be accepted as a sport for Tencha and me either, did you? Well, the joke's on you little sister, because the Student President did accept hopscotch despite you sending me off on some wild goose chase looking for this black castle of yours."

Anna's eyes widened. "The black… castle? Are you saying you found something about it?" she said, looking again at the stack of parchment next to her plate.

"Yes I did. Ha-ha, very funny. What –– was the fact that it's a mental hospital supposed to be some reference to me? Oh — you're such a riot."

"A mental hospital?" Gwen said, in surprise.

"That's right. Well… you've had your fun. But next time, try to make your practical jokes a little more worthy of the legacy Tencha and I are trying to leave you here at the school, all right? This one was poor," she said rolling her eyes before turning to storm off.

Anna flipped over the pile of parchment and saw, to her astonishment, a black and white lithograph of the castle she had seen while riding on Swooper.

"That's it!" Anna yelped, excitedly. "That's the exact castle I saw in the shadowed forest." Anna turned the page and started to read aloud.

_**Saint Drogo's Hospital for Incurable Lost Causes**_

_One of the oldest guarded prison hospitals in the entire Wizarding world, Saint Drogo is home to some of the most violent criminal deviates ever to hold a wand. Kept in an unknown and heavily guarded secret location, this Wizarding hospital and prison has within its walls those of incurable mental disorders with a single common trait among its population. That is, extreme violence of a nature so brutal that its residents cannot be kept with any other humans, be it Wizard or Muggle. Perhaps the most notorious occupant now living within the walls of this prison is non-other than the infamous Arief Sugianto. The exploits of this Wizard are the substance of nightmares, even though he's been incarcerated for more than forty years. It was reported that Mister Sugianto slaughtered and then ate his entire family, including his wife, mother, six children, and then at least 3 officers of the Ministry Authority who were sent to arrest him._

"Eeeeoww!" Gwen squealed in disgust. Anna screwed up her face at Gwen and then continued to read.

"_Mister Sugianto was reported to have also killed nearly one hundred Muggles in a remote town in Brazil. At the time of his arrest, Sugianto was caught in the act of drinking the mixed blood of many of his Muggle victims. But Sugianto is just one example of the horrors kept locked away behind the enchanted walls of Drogo castle. Although the motto of the hospital is: To Cure and Protect, nobody sent to Drogo has ever been cured or released. The process by which prisoners make their way to Drogo is only known by a small handful of wizards within the International Confederation of Ministries, whose members oversee the prison's needs. The array of spells, enchantments, and guards that protect the Wizarding world from the prisoners of Drogo is a highly guarded secret, and has reached a skeptical level of legendary status in rational circles. This is most likely because no prisoner has ever escaped from the black walls of Drogo. But the very sick, and some would say evil, individuals living within the castle's walls are terrifyingly real. The castle is reported to be unplotable and hidden from public view by the Fidelius Charm, whose secret keeper is unknown to all but the Confederation of Ministries. One can only hope that while the population of Drogo is getting the help it needs from the Wizarding World's best healers, the prisoners there never see the light of day outside this historically ominous and hidden place._

Anna looked up. "Wow, can you believe this? No wonder nobody talks about it. Nobody is supposed to know its here!"

"Yeah… and I can understand why," Gwen said, with a shudder. "It's going to be difficult to sleep tonight, knowing a place like that is just over the mountain. If our parents knew this place was so close to Spellsburg they would freak out. Muggle murderers, people who eat their children? That is so sick."

Anna nodded. "It's no wonder the Crimson Guard is stationed there. They're watching over all of those prisoners. Captain Dunning is probably in charge of the place."

"Oh… that's got to be pleasant duty," Gwen said, her eyes bulging. "I'll bet some of the guards are loony themselves, working inside a place like that. No wonder Dunning is half a nut." Gwen paused. "Anna, what's the matter?" Anna's face had gone suddenly rigid. She looked at Gwen as if just awaken from a trance and then leaned in.

"Remember… the point of my looking for information about this place was because Sarah said the evil one, the one who altered me at birth, was somewhere near by. If the thing she was talking about is in Drogo's castle, then that would mean it's probably the worst kind of witch or wizard we can imagine," Anna explained, looking somewhat fearful. "I wonder… who it is."

Gwen looked hesitant. "Girl… its time you dropped this, because I get the feeling… you don't want to know." Gwen leaned back and folded her arms. "There's just one thing I don't understand," she added, frowning up at Anna.

"What's that?"

Gwen gave Anna an incredulous look and then leaned front to whisper, "It says here that the castle is protected by the _Fidelius Charm_."

"Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. What is that?"

"Professor Titan told us about it last year. It's a really complicated spell that allows somebody to hide a secret inside the soul of another. This person is called the Fidelius Secret Keeper. Once the information is given to the secret keeper, the location of a particular building for example, nobody would be able to find the place unless the secret keeper decided to tell them where it was."

"So… nobody would be able to find this place unless they accidentally ran into it like I did?" Anna asked her.

"No-no, you don't understand. If you're not the secret keeper, or if you weren't given the castle's location by the secret keeper, then you wouldn't be able to see the place even if you were standing right next to it," Gwen explained.

Anna frowned. "But… I did see it."

"I know — and that's my point. If the Fidelius Charm was in place, you should not have been able to see it at all."

Anna thought. "You know… when I was in Dunning's office, he seemed rather shocked when I told him I had seen the black castle in the forest." Anna smiled satisfactory and then smirked. "I guess his secret keeper charms aren't up to scratch, the idiot."

Gwen still looked hesitant. "I don't think that explains this, Anna," she said, staring at her friend.

"Explains what?"

"How did the castle look to you when you saw it? I mean did it look normal, exactly as you described it to me, or was there anything else about it that you might now consider strange?"

Anna looked away and tried to think back. "I remember first seeing the castle at a glance and then asking Swooper to go back so I could take a second look." Anna squinted, as if forcing her memory to see more clearly. In her mind's eye, she could see the towers coming into view and the fires in its windows flickering in the distance. And then, "Oh… wait a minute," she said, realizing something for the first time, "I do remember the building had this weird hazy glow. Kind of like… a bluish vapor surrounding it." She looked back at Gwen who was nodding.

"Interesting… it's almost like you could see the castle even though it was supposed to be protected from view. Another thing," Gwen continued, "you sent Hobbs to deliver those letters to the castle. You told him where to find it —" she said, frowning.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well Hobbs should never have been able to see it –– let alone go there. It's almost as if…" Gwen looked suddenly startled by her own logic. She looked at Anna. "It's almost as if… you were the castle's secret keeper."

"Me? But… that's ridiculous. How could I be its secret keeper?"

"I don't know… but it's the only thing that makes sense." Gwen leaned back and then grinned. "Remind me to never try keeping a secret from you!"

68


	27. The Dueling Club

Chapter 27d24 – The Dueling Club

Chapter 27

The Dueling Club

As Gwen and Anna quietly headed off to the Dueling Hall, Anna was immersed in her own worried thoughts. _So… the person who altered me at birth is locked away. Well, I suppose that's a good thing, but the mirror also said this person would kill me if given a chance. Why? And what did this person do to land them in a place like Drogo?_

Gwen swung open one of two large wooden doors at the end of an extensive corridor, and entered a room unlike any other Anna had seen before at the school. It was long, like a hallway, with black wooden bleachers rising up both sides of the walls running its length down a sand-filled center. At each end of the hall hung a large painting depicting a dueler, wand in hand, pointing at his opponent across the length of the hall opposite. The space above their heads was endless, opening to some unseen ceiling high in the shadowed darkness. As they made their way up the steep steps looking to find a place to sit, somebody moved in front of Anna to stop her. It was her brother Damon.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he said, with an irritating emphasis on the word 'you'. "First-years are not allowed in the Dueling Hall. You had better get out before Professor Bots comes in and throws you out," he added sarcastically.

Anna's face flushed. "Get out of my way, Damon, and mind your own business," she retorted angrily. Damon sneered at her.

"I said, get out," he insisted in a low whisper, and then looked around in a way that told Anna he was hoping nobody in the hall would notice him talking to her. "I don't want you embarrassing our family with your feeble attempts at magic. This room is for sorcerers who know what they're doing with a wand."

"For your information, Damon," Gwen chimed in sardonically, "dueling is a scheduled class for Anna. It's not an elective like it is for people like you who can't do anything remotely resembling a real sport."

"Shut your mouth, Reese, or I'll take today's opportunity to shut it permanently in that brainless head of yours," Damon hissed, raising his wand. Anna stepped up to Damon.

"Unless you get out of our way, Damon, I'm going to toss you over that railing." Her brother glared at her. "Move aside, stick-boy, or I will move you." Damon's face went taut, and he moved angrily forward to accept his sister's challenge.

"Hey Damon –– come on! We're saving you a seat," said another student behind them, sitting with a small group of Defender fifth-years. Damon's face went slack. Looking back at Anna, he pried his sallow expression into a grin.

"Very well. By all means, join us then," he said, bowing mockingly low, and motioning her forward with an outstretched hand. Anna tutted loudly and then shoved passed him. Damon glared at her as he watched her go by and said, "But don't expect to be rescued when you get yourself into trouble here, Anna. Family or not, in a duel, you're on your own."

Anna looked back. "It's always been that way, Damon. I could be bleeding to death right next to you and still be as good as alone."

Her brother smiled agreeably. "Quarter shall neither be asked nor given," he said, bowing again, his eyes never leaving her.

"Yeah, whatever," Anna replied nastily, turning to sit on the bench next to Gwen. "Jerk," she huffed under her breath.

"What are you going to do if you're forced to duel with him?" Gwen asked her nervously. "I mean… I know Damon is an ass, but he's probably one of the best in here when it comes to dueling." Anna looked at her friend and then forced herself to smile.

"Then I'd better learn a couple of fast spells to take his wand from him. That way — I can punch him in the face with my squibbly little fists." The two girls giggled, but Anna was hiding a deep uneasiness. The fact was, she knew Gwen was right about her brother; Damon was indeed very good with his wand, good enough to give Eric pause during their verbal battles in the past. Although Anna was correct in assuming she had every right to be in the Dueling Hall, she was also very concerned about having to duel with anybody without the magical knowledge to protect herself. Why would Thordarson put her in here as unprepared as she obviously was?

"Uh-oh," Gwen said, bumping Anna's leg with her knee. "Look over there –– at two o'clock." Anna looked up and her heart sank. In the first row of bleachers across the pit, sitting among a number of Defender girls, was none other than Debbie Dunning. She was laughing and talking like a celebrity with the students around her. Anna tried to sink low in her seat to avoid being seen.

"Oh, great," Anna whispered to Gwen. "If she sees me, I'm dead." No sooner had she said this, when one of the girls sitting next to Dunning saw Anna, and nudged Debbie with her shoulder to whisper something into her ear. Debbie's head jerked up, and Anna's blood went cold. She could see Debbie's eyes searching the seats around them before finally settling upon her. The two girls stared each other for a moment, and then Debbie's eyes narrowed with haunting anticipation. A malicious smile slowly began to form on her face as she raised her wand. She twirled it expertly between her fingers, and then pointed it at Anna across the pit. For the lack of knowing what else to do, Anna smiled and nodded back.

"You're right," said Gwen, mumbling out of the side of her mouth, "you're dead."

Anna looked back at her friend. "Do you know if there's a rear exit out of here?" Gwen tried to smile, but a sudden bang at the entrance door brought their attention back to the center of the hall. Anna groaned again.

"It keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" she said, sinking still lower on her bench. Captain Dunning had just entered the room. "Would you mind sitting on my lap so I can hide behind you?" Anna said, mournfully. Gwen looked at Anna, her face screwed up in understanding sympathy.

"Quiet down!" bellowed Captain Dunning before turning to face the class. "For a number of years now, I have been trying to convince the Chancellor that I would be the best instructor for this Dueling Club. I believe this, not only because of my experience as a Crimson Guard, but also because I have been watching this class very closely and believe your skills to be woefully lacking. Professor Bots might be a fabulous Muggle Studies teacher, and I believe he even has a number of dueling titles to his name, but I think it's time we took this class to a new level.

"Well… good fortune has smiled upon you, because the majority of Professor Bot's time this year is going to be spent preparing our school to receive the Triwizard Tournament, and I have been able to finally convince Professor Thordarson to allow me to take over. So… prepare yourselves. This hall has been striving to make you the best dueling students anywhere in the Wizarding world." The captain paused to look at the students around him. "I," he said, unwaveringly, "will make you better!"

Gwen leaned over to Anna. "A little full of himself, don't you think?" Anna smirked.

"We will start with a couple of demonstrations after which I will give you my observations. Then you will pair up and practice what you've learned." He paused importantly. "So — let's have our first demonstration pair. For the benefit of those who are joining us for the first time, I need two volunteers who can impress us." Several hands immediately shot into the air. "You've got to be kidding me, Smith," Dunning said, shoving the hand of one of the Servers back down as he passed. "I said impressive, not repulsive." The boy's face went red as he flopped back into his seat and scowled, while some of the others in the class snickered.

"Let's see," said Dunning, still searching through the sea of raised hands. "Ah, yes –– Mister Riggins. You seem to have shown a reluctance to embarrass yourself recently. Get down here." A fifth-year boy from the Searchers' Union stood and, smiling broadly, began sliding past the knees and feet of the others as he headed for the stairs. "And one more…" Dunning continued, looking around at Anna's side of the room. "Ah… but of course… Grayson. Get down here!" Anna's heart jumped into her throat. She looked up, expecting to see Dunning pointing at her, but instead she saw the Captain motioning into the crowd to her right where her brother Damon was now sitting in the front row. Although his hand had not been raised, Damon nodded agreeably and then stood.

"Let's put that family honor of yours to the test, shall we?" Captain Dunning sneered.

Damon hesitated slightly to give Dunning his patented scowl and, grumbling under his breath, began pushing his way to the stairs. The two boys made their way down to the pit below and then stood facing each other on opposite ends of the long, sand-filled hallway. The images in the portraits behind them began to whisper instructions to the boys.

"_Keep your wand high in the beginning, and thrust the hex forward with the force of your body and your mind,"_ the portrait on the left whispered to Riggins. The boy nodded appreciatively.

"Oh this is going to be good," Gwen said, looking at Anna. "I dated Donald Riggins a few weeks last year. He's such an arrogant ass."

Anna smiled. "Maybe the two of them will hex each other into oblivion then," she said, grinning.

"Let's hope so," Gwen replied, looking down at the two boys with eager anticipation. "Maybe I can sneak a shot in unnoticed." She took out her wand and then looked around at the other students sitting behind them. "Anybody know the jinx for rectal-cranial inversions?"

"Forward!" called Dunning, and the boys took ten steps toward each other and then halted. "Wands… at the ready!" The boys raised their wands and crouched low to take careful aim at one another. Anna started to snicker. Damon looked like a chimpanzee standing with both arms outstretched over his head. Anna leaned over to say something about Damon's stance to Gwen, but quickly realized her friend wasn't laughing. She, like everybody else in the hall, looked positively enthralled at what was about to happen.

"On my command!" Dunning bellowed. There was a long pause as the room turned deadly still. "Begin!"

"_Incursiosultus!"_ yelled Damon, thrusting his wand forward just as the Riggins boy screamed, _"Exarmo!"_ from the opposite end. A bright flash of red light exploded out of Damon's wand and streaked its way toward his opponent, while a bright white light shot out of Riggins' wand and headed toward Damon. As the beams blasted down the center of the pit, Anna could feel her hair rising on her head as the power of the two spells crossed in front of her.

Damon was hit first. He let out a loud, "Oooff!" as the spell hit him in the chest and knocked him ten feet back into the sand. Riggins was hit too. The force of the blow looked like he was struck with the blunt end of a telephone pole. He crashed into the portrait behind him and toppled into the sand below.

"_Get up!"_ the portrait behind Riggins yelled_. "Your opponent rises!"_ Sure enough, Damon was on his feet again and marching forward.

"_Everbero!"_ yelled Damon. A flash of orange shot out from his wand. Riggins was still trying to get to his feet when he saw the hex coming.

"_Repellatego!"_ he screamed. Instantly, a shield of faded blue flattened in front of him just in the nick of time. Damon's spell bounced off the shield with a loud gong, and then streaked its way back in the direction from which it came. Damon dove head long into the sand, his own hex just missing him by inches. _"Incendia!"_ yelled Riggins again, who waved his wand like a whip over his head, and then jumped out to cast the spell forward. A thin beam of fire shot across the hall. Daman rolled across the sand as the hex smashed into the pit behind him. A cloud of brunt ash shot into the air blocking Damon momentarily from sight. There was a pause.

"_Scindoeverbero!"_ Damon yelled, and another beam of orange light shot out of the cloud toward Riggins, who looked more than ready. But halfway down the hall, Damon's hex suddenly split itself in two. One of the beams continued to head toward Riggins, while the other abruptly turned upward and blasted out of sight into the endless ceiling above. Riggins dove to avoid the first half of the hex and then jumped to his feet again to point his wand at Damon. Suddenly, the second half of Damon's hex came streaking down from out of the ceiling and struck Riggins in the shoulder of his wand hand. The blow seemed to flatten him strangely over his feet as his wand flew out of his grip. Damon was running forward. His face determined, he was moving in for the kill.

"STOP!" yelled Captain Dunning, and the crowd in the stands exploded into thunderous applause. Damon slowly lowered his outstretched arm as Riggins reached down to lift his wand out of the sand. Smiling, he ran toward Damon who was waiting in the center of the pit. Riggins stretched out and, rubbing his sore shoulder, he shook Damon's hand.

"Unbelievable shot, Damon," he said, swatting him hard on the back. "I hope it was a lucky one," he added with a grin.

Damon smiled with forced politeness. "Thank you," he replied simply. The crowd continued to applaud their approval, as did the portraits on either side of the hall.

"Very good," said Captain Dunning, waving at the crowd to quiet them. "Congratulations to our duelers for a fine display of what this club is all about. There were, however, several mistakes I need to point out," and Dunning went on to explain the errors he had witnessed in wand motion and movement.

Anna sat mesmerized. The excitement of the duel itself was enough to keep her awake for the next several nights, but it was Damon's performance that was truly astonishing to her. Anna always knew Damon would be a very powerful wizard in some distant future, but she had no idea he was already so formidable. In all the times she had threatened her brother, confident she could easily hold her own, it was only now that she realized she never truly had any chance against him. As hard as it was for her to admit, Damon was dreadfully impressive.

"So, what do you think?" Gwen asked, leaning over to her. Anna looked up with a strained smile, which told Gwen everything she needed to know. She smiled back. "Don't worry; everybody has that look the first time they see a duel. I like to think of it this way: Someday we'll be just as good as they are." Anna looked skeptical, but nodded anyway.

"All right then. That's ten points for the Defender and Searcher Halls, and a winner's mark for Mister Grayson. Now then, let's have another demonstration pair," said Captain Dunning. Once again, several hands shot into the air. "Debbie, get down here!" Debbie Dunning, smiling eagerly, stood and headed toward the stairs. One of the girls sitting next to Debbie yelled something at the Captain through a cupped hand, and Anna saw him straighten and then quickly spin around to look to her side of the hall. His eyes began searching the stands and finally found Anna sitting in the crowd. His face turned cold.

"You!" he said, pointing at Anna. Terror shot through Anna's body like an electric shock, which immediately seemed to turn her whole world inward onto itself. There were people talking right next to her, but their voices began to fade in and out like a badly tuned radio. Her limbs felt strangely foreign, stiff, and slow, too heavy to move. She could hear her heart booming like a cannon in her ears, which seemed to drown out Captain Dunning's words.

"Let's get the other Grayson down here, shall we?"

Damon, who was still making his way back to his seat through a gauntlet of congratulatory handshakes, suddenly stiffened. "Captain Dunning," he said, looking down into the pit. "My sister is only a first-year, sir. As you know, first-years are not supposed to be in the Dueling Hall. She shouldn't be in her seat, let alone in the pit. She is ill-prepared to duel anybody, sir." There was a murmur of surprise and agreement in the crowd, as everybody strained their necks to look Anna's way. Captain Dunning merely smiled.

"Normally, Mister Grayson, I would agree with you, but it would seem our knowledgeable Chancellor does not. He must believe our first Guardian deserves to be here… so who are we to argue with such wisdom? Sit down, Mister Grayson."

"But, sir!" Damon protested.

"I said — sit down!" the Captain bellowed, and Damon slowly sank onto his bench. If not for the fact that Damon was arguing against her having to duel, Anna would have enjoyed seeing her brother rebuked, but not this time.

"Now, Miss Grayson, if you would be so kind," said Dunning, motioning Anna toward the stairs. Anna didn't move. Her mind and her body seemed strangely disconnected from each another.

"Anna?" Gwen whispered, nudging her friend as if to wake her. "Anna! Are you… all right?" Gwen glared at the boy sitting on Anna's right. "Help me!" Gwen whispered to him angrily.

Looking somewhat uncomfortable, the boy reached out and gave Anna a timid poke on the leg. The touch of a stranger did what Gwen's prodding could not, and Anna reluctantly stood.

"You did bring your wand, didn't you?" asked Gwen, with a look of impending foreboding. Anna reached into her robes and, with a trembling hand, pulled out her purple heart. Gwen looked terrified for her friend. "Listen, Anna, if a spell hits you, just drop your wand and the Captain will have to stop the duel. Do you understand? Just drop your wand, Anna."

Anna didn't answer her. Her throat was too dry to speak, and Gwen had to give her a gentle push in the direction of the stairs to get her moving again. As Anna passed Damon, he kept his eyes straight, never flinching as she went by him. She was grateful. She expected him to repeat his warning that she shouldn't have been in the Hall in the first place. Now Anna wished she had listened. After what felt like her last walk to the gallows, Anna entered the pit and stood in the spot directed to her by the wizard dueler in the portrait.

"_Did I hear the gentleman correctly, my dear? Are you –– in fact… an egg?"_ asked the painting, speaking to her with a thick Irish brogue. Anna's mouth was still too dry to speak. She simply nodded back_. "Do you have a properly practiced spell you can use in your defense?"_ Anna stared blankly up at the portrait. "_Do you know a spell of any kind?"_ he asked, frowning down at her. Anna's eyes moved to meet his, her face twisting into a kind of smiling grimace. She mouthed the word –– no.

"_By the bloody hills of Knockcroghery, this is without precedence!"_ He straightened to glare down at her. _"Shoulders back, lass,"_ he said, lifting his chin encouragingly_. "This battle may be short, but yer manner of fight will set in the minds of those watching the struggle. Courage, and fast feet, will win you support even if you falter."_

Maybe it was the confidence in his voice, but something in his words seemed to throw a switch inside Anna's brain. It reminded her of something Karen Scott had said back in the Server Hall. _You have to somehow show the rest of the students a reason to follow you._ And then an idea came to her. If she couldn't protect herself, then perhaps a strong display of bravery in the face of such long odds might come to something positive. Anna looked up and smiled gratefully at the portrait, her face reflecting more determination.

"Thanks," she said, simply. The portrait smiled back at her.

"_I see courage in yer eyes, lass. I accept you then as my Squire in the battle to come. Hold on to who you are, and if yer cause be noble, others will flock to yer side."_ Anna nodded, and then turned to face Debbie at the other end of the hall. To her surprise, Debbie wasn't even looking at her. She was laughing and talking eagerly to her friends who were giving her suggestions for a first strike. Debbie's portrait behind her was trying to get her attention, looking desperately to offer his own words of advice, but he was being ignored. Finally, Anna could see the image in the portrait turn away, folding his arms in obvious indignation at Debbie's rudeness toward him. Anna stood there staring down the long sand-filled corridor, and she realized how difficult it would be to hit anybody with a spell at this distance even if she knew one. Damon's ability to hit his opponent in the arm with a disarming spell seemed, if possible, even more impressive than the moment she saw it happen. Captain Dunning broke her gaze as he stepped in front of her.

"So Grayson… are we now ready to receive some payment for our past sins?" he growled, in an undertone of deep malice. Anna didn't reply. She tried to stare straight through him as though he wasn't there. "What's the matter? Are we too frightened to speak as before? Maybe you would feel more comfortable if I replaced your wand with something more suited to your talents… the club of a troll, perhaps?" Anna's eyes shot up to meet his. She could feel her face flush as her insides began to seethe with rage.

"_Disgraceful!"_ protested the portrait behind Anna_. "Yer distractions of my Squire are without honor, sir!" _he said, glaring down at Captain Dunning. The Captain smiled and then looked up.

"I'm just giving the student encouragement before the contest," he said, coolly.

"_That, my good Captain, is my job!"_

"I'll be fine," Anna said, in a whisper almost too low to hear. Dunning looked at her.

"What was that?"

"I said –– I'll-be-fine. What's the matter Captain, something wrong with your ears?" and Anna leaned to look at the spot on the side of Dunning's head where she had hit him. Dunning's eyes flashed as he stepped closer.

"There-it-is. I knew I would find it soon enough. That infamous forked tongue is waggling again. Perhaps I'll have my sister rip it out of that pretty little head of yours." He quickly turned and strode across the pit toward Debbie. He began to whisper something behind a cupped hand into her ear, and Anna could see Debbie's face forming a wicked smile as she turned her eyes toward her. A few of the students in the audience started to heckle at the Captain's obvious bias as he continued to whisper to his sister.

"_Unconscionable behavior!"_ protested Anna's portrait. _"Giving advice in the pit without the portrait overseer's inclusion is a grievous breech of protocol."_ Anna looked up and could see Debbie's portrait swaying side to side in his frame, struggling to hear what was being said between the Captain and Debbie_. "This is, without a doubt, a most disgusting display of judging bias. We are up against those of sinister heart, my noble Squire."_

"Yeah… tell me about it," replied Anna, as some of the hecklers around them started to jeer and boo.

The captain finally whipped about to walk to the side of the pit. "Forward!" he yelled, and the jeers from the audience quickly fell silent. Anna and Debbie started to walk toward one another.

"_A stout heart, lass, and quick feet!"_ called Anna's portrait behind her.

After taking a few steps, which Anna didn't bother to count, Debbie stopped. Anna halted in front of her fifty feet away. Anna glanced to her left and saw Damon sitting board straight, both hands on the rail in front of him, with a look of surprising concern in his eyes. Gwen was peeking through the fingers of her hands covering her face.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Dunning. Debbie planted her right foot forward and pointed her wand at Anna. Anna raised her wand. _It'll be over in a second, _she thought. _Think about Eric and Daddy, and how fearless they are. Come on… show some backbone, Grayson._

"Begin!" bellowed Dunning, and Anna closed her eyes and waited for the spell to hit her. She waited… and waited… but nothing happened. Finally, Anna slowly opened one of her eyes to look down the pit. Debbie was still standing there, her wand pointed and at the ready. Anna opened both of her eyes and stared down the long bed of sand between them. Even from this distance, Anna could see Debbie was smiling. The crowd was still; so quiet, that when someone finally moved in their seat, somebody let out a quick "Ssshhh!" in response. The two girls stood there staring at each other, and then it occurred to Anna what Debbie was doing. She was giving Anna the first shot, an opportunity to cast the first spell before pouncing on her. Anna's mind was racing. What should she do? What spell could she use that might help her? She finally decided on the only spell she had ever used in Professor Titan's class. She stretched out her wand.

"_Relashio!"_yelled Anna. Instantly, purple sparks shot out of her wand and headed toward Debbie. Then, about halfway across the pit, the jet of sparks turned abruptly up toward the dark ceiling and exploded harmlessly into the blackness above them. The crowd in the stands started to howl with laughter. Debbie was also giggling maliciously at Anna's failure. She finally straightened and then stepped forward.

"My turn…" she said, pointing her wand. _"Reducto!_" A burst of red light shot out of her wand and headed toward Anna. It hit her square in the chest and propelled her back, slamming her body into the portrait behind her. Anna fell to the sand and crumbed into a heap.

"_A strong grip –– hold on to yer wand, lass,"_ called her portrait. Anna looked up to spit the sand out of her mouth and could see, to her surprise, that she indeed still held the purple heart in her white-knuckled grip. She tried to get to her feet, but Debbie was moving forward again.

"_Everbero!"_ she bellowed. Another blow hit Anna in the chest, sending her flying back against the wall again. She slid down onto her knees, her back leaning against the cold stone behind her, and the crowd gasped in horror at the violence of the blow.

Anna was fighting to remain conscious. Clutching her wand tight, she could hear Gwen's words running through her mind_. Just drop your wand and the Captain will stop the duel. _But then another voice streamed into her head: _Yer manner of fight will set in the minds of those watching you._ Anna tried to stand, but was hit again by another spell. Her head exploded in pain as she fell into the sand once more.

"Give it up Grayson," taunted Debbie from across the pit. Anna slowly raised her face out of the sand, her eyes blurred in agony. She pushed herself slowly up to her knees again and then raised her wand defiantly toward Debbie. Anna didn't say anything – she didn't know what to say. She was helpless before her foe. Another blast slammed into her, which spun her around. She hit the wall with her front, the hex burning straight through to her back and she felt her wand finally slide from her hand. In the far off distance she could hear the wavering voice of the portrait calling to her in a most sympathetic and gentle tone.

"_Yer courage has served us well, my brave Squire. Let the wand lie, yer fight is done."_ But something flashed in Anna's brain. _My wand! My mother's wand!_ Shaking, Anna looked down and saw the end of the purple heart sticking out of the sand by her feet. Summoning all her strength, she reached down and grabbed its handle. She quickly turned and used the wall at her back to hold herself up.

"_Remarkable!"_ whispered the portrait. Anna could feel the coldness of the stones to her back and against hands, which lay limp to her sides.

"Drop the wand, Grayson," Debbie demanded, raising her own wand at her again. Anna's breath was short and rapid; her head was spinning. She could see what looked like three opponents blurring in and out of focus in front of her. "I said, drop it!" Debbie screamed, piercingly. Anna tried to force her eyes clear, and then clutched her wand defiantly with both hands against her chest. Debbie's face lit with anger. "Fine! Have it your way!" She raised her arm, _"Reducto!"_ Another burst of red light shot toward Anna, just as a loud voice screamed into her mind.

"_DUCK!"_

Anna did as she was told just in time, and Debbie's spell struck the wall exactly where she had been standing the second before. Anna reached her hand back to touch the wall behind her. The warning had come from the stones_. _

"_Your enemy is approaching,"_ they whispered in unison. _"Down!"_ they yelled into her brain.

Anna dropped again. Another hex bounced off the wall above her, but as the seconds passed Anna's head was starting to clear once more. She staggered to her feet in time to see Debbie sending more hexes toward her. She ducked again and then dove to the right, following the warnings coming from the stones. Finally, another spell hit her and she collapsed.

"Drop it! Debbie yelled.

"Nooo." Anna gurgled defiantly.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Debbie said in frustration. "All right, if you won't drop it, then I'll just take it from you. _"__Wingardium Leviosa__!"_

Immediately, Anna was lifted off her feet and turned upside down. Debbie began flicking her wand with her wrist, which bounced Anna up and down in the air. Some of the students in the crowd started to laugh as Anna's skirt toppled to her waist, and she could hear Gwen screaming at the Captain with several others to stop the duel. Anna's grip weakened, and her wand fell to the sand below her. Her humiliation complete, Anna was dropped on her head to the sound of Debbie's cold, pitiless laugher. Completely blinded by sand and pain, Anna's hands flew across the ground in a desperate attempt to find her wand once more.

"Captain Dunning!" yelled Damon, who was now on his feet. "This match is over. Anna has lost her wand twice, but you have not stopped this duel," he protested.

Captain Dunning gave a gratifying smirk. "It doesn't look to me like she wants to give up. Look at her groveling on her hands and knees. She looks like a little pig, rooting for its…"

"Captain!" raged Damon.

"Sit –– down, Grayson, or I've have you removed" Damon slowly dropped into his seat again as Anna found her wand and then tried to stand.

"_Expelliarmus!" _yelled Debbie, and Anna's wand was unexpectedly jerked out of her hand. _"__Accio Wand!" _ The purple heart flew end over end toward Debbie and landed in the sand next to her feet. "Finally!" she quipped triumphantly as she reached down to pick up the wand.

Anna was left stunned, shocked by a sight strangely repulsive to her. It was as if Anna had no other possessions worth caring about but that which was now being examined in Debbie Dunning's insufferable hands.

"Give… me… my… wand!" Anna demanded, heaving herself up to stand. Debbie looked up in surprise, and then her face turned cold.

"What, you mean this foul thing?" she replied with a glint of evil in her eye and waving Anna's wand between her fingers.

"Give it to me!" Anna screamed. Debbie's face went slack.

"No."

Anna started marching toward Debbie across the pit, her eyes focused on her mother's wand in Debbie's hand. "Give it to me, NOW!" There were jeering sounds now coming from the crowd, which seemed to be directed toward Debbie.

"Well, if it means that much to you…" Debbie snorted, "maybe I'll just break it in half." Anna stopped dead in her tracks.

"You will return my mother's wand to me, or I swear, I'll…"

"Or you'll what?" Debbie retorted, her expression now turning angry.

"Give it to me!"

"No… I'm going to snap it in half," and she raised her wand at the purple heart.

"NO!" Anna screamed, and she began to run toward her.

Debbie looked up at Anna coming at her. At first she seemed rather surprised, but then smiled as she lifted her wand again. _"__Rictusempra__!"_

Another jet of light streaked its way toward Anna, but all hesitation within the Guardian had left her. Her body felt different – light and powerful, and Debbie's movements looked as if they were suddenly moving in slow motion. Anna growled in determination as she continued to move forward toward the beam of Debbie's hex coming directly at her. At the last possible moment Anna stopped, twisted to her side, and watched the hex streak by her chest missing her. Anna quickly turned and continued to march toward the _thing_ still holding her wand.

"Give – it – back!" Anna snarled. Debbie's face fell.

"_Reducto__!"_ Another hex was coming toward Anna, and although she was now closer to Debbie, the spell coming at her seemed even slower than the first. Anna twisted her body to the left and let the hex pass within inches of her face. She snapped straight again, and continued pressing in on her foe. Debbie was falling back now. _"Impedimenta!"_ she screamed, taking two steps back. _"Impedimenta!"_ She stepped back again. _"Impedimenta!"_ She was now continuously moving backwards, trying without success to increase her distance.

Anna twisted right. SHKEWW. The hex shot by her.

She took four steps closer to Debbie and then ducked again. SHKEEEWW. The hex streaked over her head. She popped up and took another five steps.

"GIVE-IT-BACK!" Anna roared, before diving to the left. SHHREWWW –– missed again.

Anna rolled twice, sprung to her feet, and then started to race toward the thing that now seemed as prey to her, and for the first time since she had entered the pit, Debbie looked fearful. Try as she may to keep her back, Anna was now nearly on top of her. The Guardian's movements didn't seem human anymore, but more like those of a wild animal closing in for the kill.

"Get back!" Debbie screamed. _"Stupefy!"_

Anna leaped at Debbie just as the hex exploded beneath her. In mid-air, Anna pulled back a fist and shot an open palm forward. The sound of the blow echoed all the way up to the topmost bleachers as the thickest part of Anna's hand smashed into Debbie Dunning's horrified face. The two wands she was holding flew in opposite directions as Debbie's body slammed backward into the sand. Anna hit the ground, rolled once, and was on her feet again sprinting to her right. With barely a thought, she snatched up the purple heart and circled back to close on Debbie, who was crawling across the sand toward her wand. Anna could smell the trail of blood she was leaving in the sand behind her. Debbie grabbed her wand and rolled over, swinging her arm around to take desperate aim at Anna, but she was too slow. Anna swatted her wand to the side, grabbed her by the robes, and lifted her head off the sand. Dunning's face was a mess. Her nose looked broken and was bleeding freely down both sides of her head. Debbie could hear Anna's voice mixed with a low, growling rumble, snarling down at her.

"You enjoyed that didn't you, Debbie?" Anna snapped the girl's face still closer. "You love causing pain in others, don't you? Well now let's see how much you can take!" Debbie looked up and her eyes widened in horror. Anna's eyes were completely black, her teeth fanged with rage. Debbie screamed as Anna pulled back an open fist that spread itself like a claw ready to strike.

"FOUL!" shouted a voice from behind, and Anna was grabbed by the back of the neck and thrown to the side. It was Captain Dunning. In a fit of rage, he began screaming at her. "You do not put your hands on an opponent in the pit, Grayson! This is not one of your disgusting Muggle brawls!" Anna scrambled to her feet, but remained crouched low in the sand, snarling at him.

"Detention!" bellowed the Captain.

Anna's brow darkened as she slowly stood, never taking her eyes off of Debbie who was still sobbing in the sand.

The Captain leaned down over his sister. "Get up!" he whispered, rudely yanking her to her feet. "You!" he said, pointing at another Defender in the bleachers, "take her to the hospital floor!" The Captain shoved his sister into the arms of some of Debbie's friends and then spun around to glare back at Anna. "And you –– get out of this hall –– NOW!" Anna let out a low growl that seemed to come from the dungeons deep beneath her feet. She pocketed her wand and brushed the sand off her robes as she watched Debbie being escorted off the pit.

"She isn't human," Debbie sputtered and spat. "Did you see her face? DID YOU SEE HER FACE?" she whimpered, holding her bloodied nose.

Anna snapped her robes straight around her neck and then turned to leave. As she plodded through the sand, her steps seemed heavier than during the fight, but these thoughts were quickly set aside as she heard something strange filling the hall around her. It was applause. Anna stopped and looked around. To her great surprise, nearly everybody in the wooden bleachers surrounding her was on their feet and clapping loudly.

"Silence!" roared Captain Dunning. "I said, SILENCE!"

Anna grinned and then turned to leave, pausing slightly at the portrait above her as she headed for the door. The portrait overseer was also clapping toward her with his wand tucked up under his arm and a look of utmost pride painted on his brightened face.

"_A strong display of courage and steely determination, my fine Squire; you have done well. Allow me to call you to my side when battle-ready champions are in greatest need."_

Anna grinned casually, nodded once, and then exited the pit.

79


	28. Titan's Tale

Chapter 28d31 – Titan's Tale

Chapter 28

Titan's Tale

ONE

"That was incredible!" shouted Gwen, running over to Anna in the Server Tower that same evening. Anna was sitting by the fire, trying to use her homework as a way to forget about the duel with Debbie Dunning. Suddenly, a large group of Servers and Artisans came bursting through the tunnel doors. Laughing and talking gaily, it was apparent that the dueling club had finally let out. "Anna, you're a hero!" Gwen yelled out over the crowd.

"Way to go Grayson!" shouted another fifth-year boy, coming over to smack Anna on the back.

"Finally," said a sixth-year girl, reaching in to shake Anna's hand, "somebody put that awful Debbie Dunning in her place. You were positively brilliant!" Anna was both surprised and embarrassed by all the attention as the giant mob pressed in on her.

"Outstanding!"

"Unbelievably fast! I've never seen anybody move that quick over the sand in the pit."

"And did you see Captain Dunning's face? Ohhh yeah! I'd give my gold fillings to see that sour puss every day."

Suddenly, another large group of students came storming into the tower. Dueling club Defenders, Searchers, and Laborers were now crowding into the room.

"Over here!" Gwen yelled, waving the group over to them. "She's over here!"

"Gwen, no! Oh my God!" Anna gasped, as the huge multitude moved as one toward them.

"Where is she?" called a very large and burly seventh-year Laborer, pushing his way gruffly through the crowd. He found Anna and hoisted her to her feet. "Let me be the first from my Union to congratulate the person who finally had enough guts to fight and defeat the worse menace of Castlewood since Sugianto himself roamed these towers."

Everybody cheered and clapped as the giant boy lifted Anna high into the air and shook her gleefully. Anna, trying her best to construct a friendly smile, thought her teeth would rattle out of her head. She was finally set on her shoes again when several more students began pouring from of the Artisan and Server Halls, drawn out by all the shouting in the tower. Word spread quickly throughout the Halls, and soon even those who were not there to witness Debbie Dunning's defeat by a first-year were passing the story on to others.

"Speech!" someone yelled from the railing above. "Speech!" Gwen took this cue to stand on one of the couches where she started to flap her arms to quiet the crowd.

"Let's hear what our hero has to say!" Gwen shouted over the near rioting throng.

Anna was shaking her head as she tried to pull Gwen down. "What are you doing?" she said apprehensively.

"I'm trying to win over some Guardian recruits. Now shut-up while I set them up for you." Anna tried to protest, but Gwen was clearly enjoying the moment. She looked up and presented a toothy smile to the crowd.

"The conqueror of that dastardly 'D' is a little tired, so let's give her a little encouragement to stand up and give us some insight on what it took to take down the beast of Castlewood." Everybody laughed and began to chant.

"Speech – Speech – Speech – Speech – Speech…" Anna, feeling very embarrassed, was hauled up by Gwen while being shoved from the back by several others to stand. She looked over the sea of faces as Gwen waved at them to quiet.

"Umm," Anna mumbled shyly, "I… ah… don't know what to say, except… well…" she finally shrugged, "she had it coming."

"And how!" yelled a Searcher and everybody cheered. Gwen stood and, wrapping her arm around Anna's shoulder, she turned to speak to the crowd again.

"Now… for those of you who don't understand why the Guardians are here, I hope what you saw tonight will embolden you to consider the ways you can help." And like a traveling salesman hocking some miracle tonic, Gwen launched into the most ambitious sales pitch for the Guardians Anna had ever heard. She was forthright and very persuasive. She talked about the virtues of protecting the magical world from people like Debbie Dunning and other dangerous elements like _the type_ they all saw in the pit that evening. Gwen was magnificent and Anna stood next to her friend with marveled appreciation at her efforts on the Guardian's behalf.

"So — if you want to make a difference," Gwen continued, "if you want to take a stand for what's right in the world, if you want to wear the coolest shade of purple since the robes of Henry the Eighth, contact your favorite teacher and see what the Mirror of Enlightenment has to say, because courage like this," she pointed at Anna, "has to be supported!" Loud applause filled the tower room as Gwen waved to the crowd and then yanked up Anna's wrist in triumph.

As the crowd cheered and clapped, Anna leaned sideways to whisper to her friend. "I'm not sure asking people to join the Guardians so they can smack their fellow students in the nose is what the Mirror of Enlightenment had in mind," she said, worriedly.

Gwen looked at her and smiled. "Lets find the fifty Guardians first — then we can figure out what to do with them after they get here." Anna thought she had a point. "For now, let's stick with the themes of truth, justice, and the Wizarding way. It sounds better on the stump anyway."

"What about you, old friend. When are you going to walk through the mirror for this noble cause?" Anna asked her challengingly. Gwen looked at Anna in shock.

"Me? Are you nuts? My parents would kill me if they knew I was even thinking about leaving the Artisans," she grumbled fearfully from the side of her mouth, still smiling and waving at the cheering crowd.

Anna laughed. "You should work on a speech on how to stand up to your parents." Anna grumbled back. She looked out over the happy mob again. "Frankly, I think you'd make a better Guardian than me."

"Yeah, well… if it'll get me a date with that blonde, sixth-year hunk standing next to you, I just might take the chance."

Over the next week, Anna received dozens handshakes and thoughtful waves in the hallways of Castlewood than in the entire first two months put together. The experience made her realize Debbie Dunning wasn't just somebody she didn't get along with; most of her fellow classmates seemed to have a personal grudge to settle with the Captain's sister, which seemed to be satisfied in some strange way by Anna's actions in the dueling hall. Little was seen of Debbie Dunning over the days that followed, but the captain made his branded loathing of Anna evident by assigning her to detention in the stables once more. Fortunately, Anna's time with Mr. Kingston and Swooper was so common these days that it was impossible to tell where her willing stewardship ended and where Dunning's punishment began. Still, as the days passed, no new Guardians were announced.

TWO

A few days later, Eric was walking his rounds in a remote section of the castle. The wind outside howled, rattling the windows as the first week of November brought with it an unusually early winter flurry. Although most might call walking through the empty corridors after curfew rather boring or maybe even a little frightening, this had never been the case with Eric. He absolutely loved having this section of the castle to himself. After living in this magical place for more than six years, there was always something wondrous to see and learn within its stone walls.

"Hello Barty," said Eric. He tossed a friendly wave to a large canvas in an ornate frame. The man in the portrait looked properly regal but, due to the late hour, was found leaning to the side of his chair in a light doze. He startled at Eric's voice.

"Huh? What — What?" he said, jerking up straight. "Oh… it's you Grayson. Off on… your… rounds… I see?" he said, yawning widely.

"Yes, sir," Eric replied with a smile. "See any students sneaking about tonight?"

"No… all is as it should be this time of night –– quiet. I think everybody has properly reported to their…" A sharp clang echoed from the end of the corridor, which cut Barty's sentence short.

Eric turned to look and then frowned. "Who's there?" he called, looking for any movement at the end of the long hallway. He heard a thump, as if something heavy had been dropped on the floor.

"Well…" said Barty from his frame, "it looks like somebody might be out of bounds after all."

"Hello? Is somebody there? All students should have reported to their Union Halls by now. You are out of bounds after curfew." Eric stopped to listen, but there was no reply. "That's strange," he said, looking back at the portrait. "I wonder who it could be."

"Perhaps a teacher," said the portrait, stretching and then yawning again.

Eric thought. _Yes… I suppose… but why wouldn't they answer?_ "Well, I'd better check it out. Goodnight, Barty!"

"Take care, Eric," said Barty, leaning on his hand again to resume his repose, and Eric gave a friendly wave as he ambled down the corridor.

When he reached the end, Eric scanned the halls to his left and right; all was quiet, but he did notice something lying in the center of the floor by his feet. It was an old book, its edges yellowed and uneven due to the castle's gnawing silverfish. Frowning, Eric picked up the book and wiped away the graying dust from its cover. _Unsolved Murders in the Wizarding World._

"That's strange… I wonder…"

Suddenly there was a crash.

"Who's there?" Eric yelped. "It's well passed curfew. Show yourself!" Nobody did. He set the book down on a table against the wall and started down the empty corridor in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly he saw something that made his heart stop. The torches at the end of the passageway had abruptly and inexplicably gone out, and the end of the long, stone corridor was now shrouded in complete darkness. The sight of it was eerie, and projected from within its shadows an unwelcome sense of coldness, like the entrance of some forbidden cave. If just one of the torches had gone out it might have given Eric barely a moment's pause, but he could see the snuffed smoke of both torches now pouring out of the shadows on either side of the corridor away from him.

"Hello?" Eric called out, uneasy this time. Two more torches blew themselves out a few doors closer to where he stood, but before Eric could think what would cause such a thing to happen, another set, closer still, flickered and then died. The darkness seemed to be crawling its way toward him. Eric took a step back from the approaching shadows. Another set of torches started to sputter and then went out. He turned to look down the hallway in the opposite direction and was shocked to see the torches there also beginning to fail. The darkness was now closing in from both directions.

"What the hell?" He snapped his wand forward. "Who is it?" he yelled, pointing his wand at the approaching blackness. And then he heard it; a soft and airy voice that seemed to seep from out of the gloom.

"Errrrrrriiiiiiiiccc."

A cold shiver ran down the Guardian's back. "Who's there?" he shouted, stepping boldly toward the creeping darkness. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the last two torches on his left and right start to flicker and weaken. "Uh-oh…" he whispered, ominously. The torches suddenly went out with a sharp snap.

"_Lumos!" _The light from Eric's wand split the darkness, shining bright in a sphere surrounding him.

"Errrrrrriiiiiiiiccc," sighed the voice again. It seemed to come from the darkness just out of his wand's light. Eric stepped forward again.

"Yes?" He said, trying his best to sound casual.

"Heeeelllpp meeee. Pweeeeeaaassseee, Errriiiccc, help… me…"

"Who are you? What do you want?" Eric barked, squinting hard to see more clearly through the darkness ahead of him. "Show yourself — please."

The voice began to fade. "Heeeelllpp meeeeee."

There was something in the purr of the voice; something Eric thought strangely familiar, almost recognizable in its timbre. "Wait!" Eric ran forward into the darkness. He could hear the faintest of footsteps running just ahead of him now. Somebody was there, trying to get away. Eric sped forward, the light of his wand flashing ahead as he ran until he came upon another split in the corridor. He ran headlong into a table at the tee, falling with a loud crash to the floor.

"Ouch! Damn it!" He got to his feet, listening to hear in which direction to follow. All was quiet again.

"ERIC!"

Eric wheeled around and pointed his wand's light at the voice next to him. It was another painting, this time of a woman sleeping with a dog on her lap, and then a man suddenly stepped into the frame.

"Barty!" Eric barked, lowering his wand. "What the devil are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, my boy, but I had to follow after hearing the voice."

"You heard it too?"

"Of course… I…" There was another thump in the hallway behind him. Eric turned and pointed his wand into the darkness again.

"Eric, why are all the torches out? I don't like this," Barty whispered. Suddenly, they could hear footsteps running down the hall once more.

"There! Stop!" Eric yelped, pointing the way.

"I'll go ahead of them through the portraits," Barty said quickly, "I can certainly make it to the end of the hallway quicker then our mystery guest."

"Good idea, Barty." Eric replied, grateful for the help.

"I'll meet you at the end," grinned the man in the painting.

Eric waved and then took off again. As he ran, Eric could hear Barty entering and exiting paintings down the hallway in front of him. A woman in one of the portraits screamed.

"Sorry, Isabel," said Barty somewhere ahead of him. Eric came to another tee in the darkness and stopped.

"Barty! Where are you, Barty?"

"Ah-ha!" yelled Barty's voice from out of the darkness to his left. "Great Scott! You're not a student… what are you doing?" Eric heard a loud bang and then a thud.

"Barty!" Eric ran forward.

At the end of the hall, he found a portrait lying in the middle of the floor. The man named Barty looked like he was unconscious within the frame. Eric picked up the painting and leaned it respectfully against the wall. "Barty! Are you all right? Who was it, Barty? Who attacked you?" But the man's eyes were closed, his head lulled over to one side.

"Errrriiiicc," came the wispy voice behind him. "Help-meeee-peeeeease."

Eric turned angrily this time and ran toward the voice again. He heard a door fly open against its stops and then footsteps running down a flight of stairs. There was something strange about them. The feet were almost too quick, too light to be human. Their faint slapping sound gave him the impression of a small child trying to escape. Eric found a gap of light behind a door slowing closing and threw it back hard once more to follow. The steps lead to a bright underground tunnel. He knew this place; it was the tunnel connecting the castle to the Server Tower. As Eric entered the passageway, he could hear the far-off footsteps echo their slapping sound preceding him.

"Stop! Stay where you are. Stop, I say!" Eric screamed as he pelted down the tunnel in hot pursuit.

Suddenly, about halfway through passageway, all of the torches instantly blew themselves out. Eric slid to a stop, pointing his wand forward.

"_Lumos!"_

"Cooommme…" beckoned the singing voice again ahead of him. Eric was shocked at how close the intruder seemed to be. "We must reach… the other tonight," it said, fading off, "the other Guardian… is waiting." Eric's eyes widened.

"The other? You mean Anna? Why? Is she in trouble? Who are you?" He could hear the footsteps running again.

"We must… find the firrrrrsssst," called the intruder, and Eric thought he heard the sound of something evil giggling in the thing's voice as it fell away from him. Eric chased the footsteps to the end of the tunnel and finally to the massive double-doors, the entrance to the Server Tower. The doors were closed, locked tight. Eric pounded on the heavy, wooden planks.

"Why are these doors locked?" he yelled. "Open up. Open them, I say!" Eric stepped back and pointed his wand. _"Alohomora!"___The lock clicked and the doors instantly swung themselves open. To his astonishment, Eric saw something he had never seen before in all his years at the school. The tower room was completely dark.

"What the hell? Hello? Where is everybody? Where are the guards?" he yelled.

"You found me, Guardian," another voice whispered behind him.

Eric whipped about, the glow of his wand lighting the face of the person standing there. In the eerie glare, he recognized the person staring back at him. "Anna?"

"Hello big-brother. Have a nice run?" The lights suddenly burst to bright all around them.

"SURPRISE!"

To Eric's utter amazement, there were at least a hundred people standing and smiling at him in the tower room. Gabby, the Grayson house elf, was wheezing from an apparent lack of breath at Anna's feet.

"HAPPY-BIRTHDAY-ERIC!" yelled the crowd in unison. Eric gawked in complete disbelief as the crowd around him began to clap and cheer.

"What the…?" Eric mumbled, smiling stupidly as Karen Scott stepped in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Eric," she said, happily.

"What's all this?" he said, still shocked by the huge crowd now pushing an extremely large and candle lit cake into the room.

"Cheers, Eric!" called several of his friends, who were grabbing butter beers from one of many trays held aloft by empty suits of armor. They raised their drinks from the student-packed railings above him.

"It was all your sister's idea," Karen said, pointing an accusatory finger Anna's way. "She made all the arrangements and then everybody pulled together to keep it quiet."

Eric beamed. "Well I would never have thought it possible to keep a secret this big quiet within the walls of Castlewood," he said laughing, stowing his wand away and gratefully accepting the butter beer pushed into his hand. "Oh my…" Eric murmured, as more people stepped from out of the shadows. The Student President Nancy Dodimayer stood next to Lieutenant Hayman, and several other Crimson Guards that Eric knew came forward flanked by Tencha and Dowla, all were clapping with the rest. All of the school's Knights were present, together with dozens of Eric's seventh-year classmates. Doctor Pearl stood next to Jeremiah Kingston, who was still wearing the bibs from his day's work in the stables, and several paintings had been hung in the tower room to allow some of the resident portraits to join in on the fun. Eric saw a familiar face trying to hide to the side of one of the frames.

"Barty!" Eric yelped, striding over to the painting disbelievingly. The man Eric thought he had left unconscious didn't look any worse for wear. "Barty — don't tell me you were in on this too?" The man's normally stiff and proper stature suddenly fell absent as he tried to explain.

"Ah… yes… well, you see, Grayson, I was approached by your sisters and recruited… all be it reluctantly, mind-you, to… ahh… well… participate in a bit of pleasant mischief."

"Ha-ha-ha. Very good, Barty. Remind me to send you out for a good cleaning before my next shift." Several portraits began to laugh, but Barty looked worried.

"And I suppose one of my other so-called friends was responsible for the torches going dark in the hallways?" Eric observed disdainfully, as Anna pulled him back into the center of the room again. Suddenly all of the torches bloomed in the tower room, flickered briefly, and then snuffed themselves out. The entire tower was cast into darkness once again. There were a few unexpected yelps from the crowd as a voice rattled forth from out of the shadows.

"No… that… was my doing," something grumbled. Two of the torches popped on again to reveal the Dark Art's teacher, Professor Van Doorn, walking forward draped from head to toe in her usual black. Professor Titan was on her arm. "Childish –– yes," a far off wail could be heard yowling somewhere outside, "but satisfyingly effective, no?" she said with a hiss.

"Yeah… well… thanks for that ––" Eric replied sardonically. "Nearly sent me diving out the window in fright." Everybody chuckled amusingly as Professor Van Doorn bowed before waving her wand again and the torches in the tower room burst into light once more.

"And was that you I was chasing up there in the dark?" Eric asked, looking down at Gabby.

"I is…" the elf stammered, hiding behind one of Anna's legs, "doing what Iz can to helwp..." Eric stooped down to pick up the elf and then placed her on his hip like a child of two.

"You're a lot faster than you look, elf!" he said with a smile and then kissed Gabby hard on the cheek. The crowd howled with laughter.

Soon the party was a frenzy of loud music and merry-making, and Eric and Anna were passing out squares of cake while several of the Artisans strummed out the most popular tunes of the day. Gwen and Stephan Durkin started dancing and were soon joined by several other couples. Eric tried to admonish Anna and the twins for their role in the evening's deception, but was soon too busy unwrapping a mountain of gifts to give any impression of being truly upset by their actions.

"Still," Eric said, smiling gratefully, "you shouldn't have bothered. With all your studies..."

"Oh shut up and open this one," Anna snapped back, handing her brother another gift. "It's from me." Eric quickly tore away the wrappings to reveal a very thick book entitled, _The Care and Treatment of Uncommon Magical Creatures._

"Thanks," he said, hugging his sister. "Oh look," he quipped, raising the heavy tome over Anna's head, "all the better to pound you with."

Anna smiled back and then kissed Eric on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, big-brother."

"And you. It's your birthday next week as well, you know, but I really don't think I can top this," Eric said apologetically, motioning to the party going on around them. "But maybe I can get Captain Dunning to help me find a couple of ogres in the dungeons to chase you about the castle."

Anna smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you with that," she replied scathingly.

Smiling, Eric put an arm around Anna's shoulder and cautiously led her away from anybody who might hear them. "And speaking of birthdays," he said, in a hushed voice, "have you given any thought to the question you're going to ask that scope of yours?" Anna hesitated.

The fact was she had thought of little else as her birthday approached. She knew, of course, what question her brother would have her ask the Verosapt:Who was the person with Victoria that night in his bedroom? But there were several other questions that seemed just as important to her right now. Who were her mother and this person looking for?Who was the ghost that had come to visit Anna twice before she left for Castlewood, and why did it attack her father? Who was it that had murdered this phantom when they were alive, and why did they do it? Who was _the evil one_ that the mirror said had altered her at birth? How would they do such a thing and… for what purpose?And in what way was she altered?

_Yes_… she had questions, lots of them. But there was one question that always haunted her more than any other; one question she always found herself searching an answer for even when she was a small child. _How did her mother really die?_ But to ask such a question when she already had the answer given to her by her father seemed almost, should she say it… rude. Wouldn't asking something like this be admitting she didn't believe her father was telling her the truth? And what if the answer was just as simple as her father had said? Then she will have wasted the opportunity to ask something almost as important. Anna looked up at her brother.

"I haven't decided what to ask yet," she said honestly and, to her great relief, she saw Eric smile.

"I suppose that's understandable, given what's been going on around here lately," he said, knowingly.

"Eric ––" Karen Scott stepped in to join them. "Sorry Anna, but some of the other Knights wanted to get a picture of all of us together. Who knows when we'll be in a casual setting like this again?"

"Do you mind?" Eric asked, with an obligatory nod toward a group of Knights waving him toward them.

"Of course not — you go ahead," Anna whispered, somewhat relieved she didn't have to discuss the subject of the Verosapt more.

As Karen playfully shunted Eric away, Anna sank blissfully back into a quiet corner near one of the many fireplaces ablaze and crackling around them.

"Quite a party, aye?" said a happy voice next to her.

"Oh… hello Professor Titan, I didn't see you there. Yes, I think we were able to pull it off successfully," Anna observed with a sigh of relief. Anna watched in amusement at several Knights posing with Eric, some with their wands at his throat as if holding him a prisoner. She suddenly remembered something and frowned as she turned again to the teacher.

"Professor, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, my dear," Titan replied, pleasantly watching some of the dancers. "Easy on your partner's feet there, Riggins," the teacher chuckled at one of the boys leading a dark haired girl on the dance floor. He took another sip from his short glass and then looked at Anna as he swayed appreciatively to the music.

"Um, well… on the first day of class you were inspecting our wands, and you said something that sounded like you had seen my wand before. You said, '_It_ _was nice to see it again'?_" Anna said, cocking her head to frown up at him.

Titan looked at her somewhat surprised. "What? Oh… you mean the Victoria Jennings' purple heart?"

Anna's jaw dropped. "How did you know my wand belonged to my mother?"

Titan smiled down at her. "My dear, I come from a family of old Welsh wand makers, going back hundreds of years. You could say wands are in my family's blood. But I must admit, before I met your mother, I had never seen another wand quite like the purple heart. One of a kind, that is."

"What? Are you saying… you knew my mother?" Anna replied, in shocked surprise.

"Knew her? Of course I knew her. We went to school here at Castlewood together. For a time, I can proudly say, Victoria allowed me the pleasure of her company almost constantly," he informed her, brightly.

"Really? Are you saying… that you… and my mother, dated?" Titan looked at Anna, the eyebrow that usually held his monocle rising high on his forehead. Anna realized that her reaction might have inadvertently sounded contemptuous.

"Sorry, it's just that… I know so little about my mother's life. It's always a surprise whenever I hear something about her." Titan seemed surprised, but then he smiled kindly.

"It's not my place to understand why that would be, but I'm sure your father has his reasons, and it probably has something to do… well… with Victoria's unexpected passing." The professor looked suddenly sad. "Some wounds take a lifetime to heal, I'm afraid. The news of your mother's sudden death was a blow to many of us who cared about her." Anna smiled again, but then quickly moved to harvest as much information from the man as she could.

"Could you tell me more about my mother? It's so rare for me to meet somebody who actually knew her."

Titan seemed to be evaluating her. "Well… it might not be my place to…"

"Please?" Anna pleaded, placing her hand gently on his forearm. "Your memories are yours to freely share, right?" Titan thought for a moment, and then motioned for her to sit on the couch near the fire. Anna sat as Titan lowered himself with a heavy groan into a chair next to her, his huge bulk sinking deep into the cushions. He paused again. Taking the monocle out of his pocket, he began to clean it with the sleeve of his robes.

"Victoria was a beautiful woman," he began, with just a hint of longing still lingering in his voice. "And I don't mean just physically. Your mother had a genteel quality that could make a stranger feel comfortable to be around her. In a word — gracefulness." Anna smiled.

"I met Victoria in my first year here at the school; we all arrived together –– me, Boris, Victoria, and of course Leola." Anna's eyes widened.

"Leola? You mean Leola Grayson?"

"Well, in my day, we knew her as Leola Vaughan," Titan explained. "Your father and Victoria arrived together at Castlewood, of course." He chuckled. "They looked more like brother and sister than two people from separate families. Two pees in a pod, those two; they were never apart."

"Are you saying my mother and father knew each other before they came to Castlewood?" Anna asked him in surprise.

Titan looked amusedly at her. "Knew each other?" he laughed. "They had known each other ever since they were children. Grew up right next to one another on that precipice of yours, overlooking the sea in California. Next door neighbors for generations."

"What? The Jennings family lived on Grayson hill somewhere? But… where? The Jennings aren't there now."

"That is because Victoria's father passed away when she was a baby, and her mother died in her fifth year while she was here at school. Her mother left the Jennings estate to Victoria, their only child." Professor Titan could see how confused Anna looked. "You really don't know that much, do you?" He paused to think. "All right then –– let's see. The Graysons and the Jennings both occupied the hill we now know as the Grayson estate. Boris and Victoria were born the same year, and their families were very close as the children grew up. That's why Boris and Victoria arrived at Castlewood together.

"Then Victoria met Leola in one of her classes, and the two became very close friends. In fact, it was through their friendship that Boris was introduced to Leola in the first place, and the two started dating seriously in their fourth-year. I began spending a lot of time with Victoria the following year. Your mother was an accomplished student, and she was willing to help me when I found myself struggling with my O-W-Ls." Anna knew O-W-Ls were _Ordinary Wizarding Level_ tests all the students had to take in their fifth year. "We started talking about our families and, before long, I was lucky enough to call upon Victoria nearly every day." Anna was enthralled by the thrill of this new information. She sat mesmerized as Titan continued.

"To nobody's surprise, Boris and Leola announced their plans to be married a little while after they left Castlewood."

"So… what happened between you and my mother?"

Titan's face suddenly fell as he reached up to wedge the monocle into his eye. "Well… it just didn't work out. Victoria wanted to return to the Jennings estate, of course, and I planned to continue my studies here at Castlewood to be a teacher," he explained, somberly. "I know that sounds sad, but at the time it was an easy decision for the two of us to make. She was the only Jennings left to care for her ancestral home, and Boris and Leola were right next door on the same hill after they were married. Your brothers and sisters were born over the years that followed, and Victoria and Leola continued their close friendship right up to the time of the accident."

Anna suddenly had an ill feeling of shame spilling over her. Many were the times she felt angry whenever she saw Leola Grayson's portraits at the manor. Those paintings seemed to present a woman so cold and unwelcoming to her, but now she knew better. Anna lowered her head, trying to find comfort with the knowledge that her mother had such a good friend in her father's first wife.

"Leola Grayson must have been a very nice person for my mother to…wait a minute." Anna looked up in surprise at Professor Titan. "But how could they have been friends up to the time of the accident? Leola was dead more than two years before I was born." Titan screwed up his face trying to understand Anna's question. Finally, he seemed to comprehend what she was saying.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I wasn't referring to Victoria's accident. I was talking about the accident at the Grayson estate that took Leola's life."

"Oh ––" Anna said in surprise. She frowned curiously. "I… never actually knew how Leola Grayson died. What happened?"

"Very sad… really. Apparently, Leola was walking on the grounds somewhere near the cliffs at night when she accidentally fell. Her wand was found at the cliff's edge near where she tripped." He sighed regretfully. "Terrible thing. If she had held on to her wand, she could have easily saved herself, but… well. Poor Boris; for a man to lose his wife so early in life was bad enough, but to have it happen again two years later with Victoria… I honestly don't know how your father ever made it through those dark days."

"I… never knew," Anna said sadly, looking over at Eric who was laughing with several of his friends. "I guess I just never thought…"

"Your brother Damon was just a few months old when he lost his mother; nothing more than a baby, just like you," Titan added somberly. Anna looked over at Damon, who was talking with Professor Van Doorn in a private corner of the tower room. She found a strange feeling of unexpected sympathy rolling over her. Titan was right, of course. Damon could never have remembered his mother either. Why had she, Anna, never thought about these things before now?

"You children have done extremely well, considering the challenges you had growing up without a mother. I always liked your father. Of course, I have a great deal of respect for what he's accomplished in his professional life, but it's what he's done with his children, despite his personal loses, that make Boris Grayson a truly remarkable man." Titan settled back in his seat to continue his story.

"After Leola died, we saw a light of hope for Boris and the children, because, of course, Victoria was right there to step in and support them. Both Boris and Victoria were absolutely devastated by Leola's death, and it was a good thing they had each other to sustain their faith for the children's sake. Professor Thordarson and I visited Boris after the funeral, and I've never seen a man so distraught and lost in life." Titan removed his monocle unnecessarily to clean it once again. After rubbing the lens and peering through it at the fire, he placed it into his eye again to continue.

"Victoria was a saint. Exactly the right person at the right moment to step in and insure the children were cared for, while Boris took the time he needed to recover from his loss. Did you know Victoria was living at the Grayson estate at the time of the accident?"

"Oh?" Anna said, in surprise. "Why was that?"

"Fire," Titan replied matter-of-factly. "The Jennings estate burned to the ground just a few months before Leola's accident. It was something of a miracle that Victoria survived the blaze. She was asleep when the fire started, and was very lucky to make it out alive."

"But… that's… that's terrible," Anna moaned, glancing over to stare at the burning embers in the fireplace next to them.

"Yes… Victoria had lost her home, and was beside herself with grief. She blamed herself for the accident, confessed she left a candle burning on her nightstand. Boris and Leola took her into their home immediately, of course, but the historic old Jennings' estate was lost forever."

Anna laid her head back on the couch to think and then, quite suddenly, something obvious dawned on her. "Hold on…" she said, jerking up. "I know the place you're talking about. I've seen it. There's a burnt structure on the other side of the estate that I visit from time to time while riding on the grounds. The remains of the Jennings' estate are still there!"

"Really?" Titan said in surprise.

"Yes. It's a wonderful place. It must have been glorious before the fire," Anna observed, and an overwhelming sense of realization began to flood over her mind. So many times she had found herself sitting by the trees, looking into the ruins of what she now understood to be her mother's ancestral home.

Anna looked back up at Titan. "So what happened after Leola passed away?"

"Ah… well, I think you probably know the rest of the story. After about a year of living together at the Grayson estate, I guess it was inevitable that Boris and Victoria would fall in love and marry. To tell you the truth, I always suspected it would turn out that way in the end," Titan added, shrewdly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well — as I said — Victoria and I were very close the last couple of years here at the school. When we parted, she told me she wanted me to come with her to California and carry on with my studies out there, but I knew it wouldn't work out. I knew we really didn't have a future together," the man explained somberly.

"Why was that?"

Titan looked at her uncomfortably. He seemed to be struggling with something very private, something he had never repeated to anybody before this night. Anna thought he looked resigned to keeping his feelings a secret, and was surprised when he went on to explain.

"When two people are together for as long as Victoria and I were, after spending that much time getting to know somebody to the extent that we did, a man can always tell the truth about such things." He paused, and then, looking back at Anna, he said, "Victoria always loved Boris," he confided to her warmly. "Oh they might have come here acting like the best of friends, but I know it was never really true for Victoria. I believe she loved your father from the time they were children." The man almost seemed to catch himself thinking out loud, and then quickly moved to recover. "Don't get me wrong, I know for a fact that Victoria was very happy for Boris and Leola when they decided to get married. I believe she was thrilled at the thought of her two closest friends starting a family together. But deep down, I knew the truth. She really loved your father, and I knew even if she wouldn't admit it to herself that she could never be truly happy with me."

For a time the room seemed quiet to Anna and Titan, even though the party around them was clearly approaching a near riotous level. Finally, Professor Titan seemed to snap to life again. "So! Things did work out just as I thought they might. After a time, Boris began to realize what he had in Victoria, and found the courage to ask her to marry him." He smiled broadly. "And what a celebration that was. Everybody was so happy for the two of them. After what happened to Boris and the children in losing Leola, not to mention Victoria losing her home, everything seemed to be right with the world again. Then, of course, we heard that Victoria was pregnant, and we started to believe the best was yet to come from these two wonderful people."

Titan's infectious smile slowly dropped as the inevitable reality of the rest of the story came into his mind. The rest of Titan's tale unsaid saddened Anna, and the two sat together looking at the fire in somber reflection. It was a strange moment, the two of them thinking about the life they could have shared with a woman already departed.

Anna looked at Titan and smiled. "Thank you," she said, meaningfully.

He looked at her. "For what, my dear?"

"For sharing your memories about my mother with me."

The man grinned broadly at her. "You know… you look so much like Victoria," he said thoughtfully. "More than your wand, it's very nice to be reminded of her by your presence here at the school." Anna smiled as the two shared another quiet moment by the warm fire.

"Well!" the man said, heaving himself up to stand. "I have to prepare for Monday's lessons, so I'll say goodbye to your brother and be off. Thank you for the invitation, Miss Grayson," he said, bowing respectfully, "and I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

He left Anna sitting on the couch staring at the fire, her mind numb from the flood of information spinning around in her head. After a few moments of private reflection, Stephan Durkin came over to join her.

"Great party, Anna. I feel like I've made the 'A' list. Thanks for inviting me." Anna looked up and smiled. In the warm glow of the firelight, Stephan looked very handsome. His straight, rugged chin and dark, wavy hair fell into sharp relief in the light, and Anna received an unexpected sense of delight as he rounded the end of the couch to sit next to her.

"Oh… no problem, I'm glad you could come," Anna said nervously.

"Why are you sitting here by yourself?" he asked her.

Anna smiled. "Professor Titan was just filling me in on some old family history. It turns out he went to school with my parents."

"Excellent! Did he give you any good rot you can use in the event you get into trouble at home? It's always nice to have a '_but you did it too'_ excuse when you find yourself in a jam," he said jokingly. Anna giggled, but then caught herself looking around for Gwen.

"No, not really. Just filled in a few gaps for me is all," she explained.

Stephan nodded. "I wanted to congratulate you on making the Vollucross team. You were excellent at the tryouts."

"Oh… thanks. Of course, it wasn't too difficult to make the Guardian team when there are only three of us in the Union."

"That doesn't mean anything. Doctor Pearl is very strict about who's allowed to compete. She calls it her _flying standard_," he said, rolling his eyes mockingly. "If nobody from a particular Union can achieve the standard, then that Dynasty won't be allowed to compete. I should know," he said mournfully, "I've never been good enough to make the roster."

Anna smiled. She really liked the way Stephan could openly admit his faults. Knowing he was an excellent student and excelled in nearly everything else he did at the school somehow made his confessions of weaknesses charming to her.

"Oh well," he said with a heavy sigh, "there's always next year. One day, with a lot of practice and hard work, I'll get there."

"I'm sure you will," Anna said encouragingly.

"Hey — you're not trying to steal my man are you, Grayson?" Gwen quipped, walking around the couch to give Stephan a quick peck on the cheek. Sarah Bell was following her.

Anna laughed nervously. "Wouldn't think of it. I still don't have a properly practiced spell I can use in my defense, remember?" she added, echoing the words of the portrait overseer from the dueling hall. Gwen laughed. She was still clearly basking in the glory of Debbie Dunning's defeat.

"Oh that was so great!" Gwen said meaningfully. "You guys should have been there." And for the hundredth time that week, Gwen recounted the intricate details of Anna's duel with the captain's sister. "And you should have seen Captain Dunning's face. You could have cooked eggs on his forehead, he was so mad." They all laughed. "I hope Professor Bots comes back soon. The class was much more fun when he was our dueling instructor," Gwen finished.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Stephan countered. "He's still hard at work bringing the Triwizard Tournament to Castlewood." He leaned in. "Did you guys hear what happened at Hogwarts over the Halloween holiday?"

"What happened?" asked Gwen, sitting down next to Stephan and wiggling a shoulder affectionately under his arm.

"Well –– remember the newspaper I showed you had said the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were suppose to arrive at Hogwarts to select their champions for the tournament?"

"Oh yeah," said Gwen, who seemed overly interested in the boy's every word. "So when are we going to see some Triwizard action out of England?"

"The action, as you correctly put it," Stephan said, glancing at Gwen, "has already started with some controversy." The group leaned forward to hear the news from overseas. "It seems the Ministry officials running the tournament ran into some trouble when they went to choose their champions. They were using a very old and magical object to help them select the most qualified students. The object was called The Goblet of Fire."

Anna's mind immediately started to swim with the possible images of the Goblet of Fire. She pictured a wooden casket encrusted with set jewels, and a wooden cup billowing blue-white flames.

"The goblet," Stephan continued, "was supposed to choose one representative from each of the three schools to compete."

"The three champions," Sarah added.

"That's right. But something went wrong, because the Goblet actually ended up choosing four champions… two from Hogwarts."

"Well that doesn't seem very fair," Gwen complained. "Why should one of the schools get to have two champions?"

Stephan looked at them and smiled. "That's what the administrators from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons said as well. It seems their governments are very upset about this turn of events."

"Can't say I blame them," Anna said, frowning. "Why don't they just make Hogwarts choose one of their two champions to compete and leave it at that?"

"Well that's the thing. It's not up to them to decide who competes. Apparently, if the Goblet of Fire chooses you, it represents some kind of binding magical contract. The four champions are now forced to compete in the tournament… whether they want to or not."

"But that's not fair," Gwen repeated.

"I know… but everyone's saying they don't have a choice now. The first task is going to be held in three weeks."

Gwen looked over at Anna and smirked. "I guess that means Professor Bots will be too busy to watch over our dueling club." Anna nodded worriedly.

Stephan broke in again. "But that's not all the news. Guess who got selected as the second champion from Hogwarts?" The three girls looked anxiously at him. "None other than Harry Potter." Gwen and Anna looked stunned, Sarah perplexed.

"You mean, the-boy-who-lived? That Harry Potter?" asked Anna.

"Yeah," Stephan said eagerly. He seemed to be relishing in the delivery of this unbelievable news.

"But isn't he about our age?" asked Anna, scowling. "I thought the newspaper said they were only going to select students who had come of age?"

"That's right. There were supposed to have been precautions taken to insure no students below the age of seventeen entered their name into the Goblet of Fire," Stephan explained. "Those in charge of the tournament are in chaos right now, because half of them are confused as to how the mistake could have happened, and the other half is upset because Hogwarts now seems to have an unfair advantage. But now that Harry Potter has been selected as one of the four champions competing, the tournament has taken on a whole new level of excitement."

"So when we see this tournament, we'll get to see Harry Potter compete?" asked Gwen, a tone of building thrill invading her voice. Stephan nodded.

"Excuse me ––" Sarah interrupted, "but… ah… who's Harry Potter?" The other three looked at her in surprise.

"Who is Harry Potter?" Stephan bellowed. "Who is… you mean… you've never heard of Harry Potter and how he survived _You-Know-Who_?"

Sarah frowned. "_You-Know-Who_?" From the stunned faces staring back at her, Sarah could see she had once again exposed her lack of knowledge about the Wizarding world. "Sorry. Being the first witch in my family, there are many things about the magical world I still don't understand."

"No need to apologize, Sarah," Gwen said, reassuringly. "It's not necessary with us."

After the initial shock that somebody at the school had never heard the story of Harry Potter, Stephan was happy to fill Sarah in on all the details. After telling her about the boy-who-lived, Sarah was appalled to hear about an evil wizard who had tried to kill a baby.

"So this Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, is going to compete in the tournament's first task in three weeks?"

"That's right," said Stephan, settling back into his seat. "And then afterwards… we're going to watch Anna compete in her first Vollucross race."

"What?" Anna yelped in surprise.

Stephan grinned. "The racing schedule was posted this afternoon in the Rotunda. Since England is five hours ahead of us, the first task will take place at seven AM our time, and they're estimating it'll take about two hours to finish. Since most of the town and nearly all of the students are going to be in the stadium anyway, Doctor Pearl has decided to treat the school to our first round of Vollucross races as well. Anna will be among the first groups to fly." Anna smiled gleefully, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Uh-oh, I can see that competitive glint in her eye," Gwen said jokingly, pointing at Anna. "Here's to Anna's first Vollucross win," she said, raising her glass. "Cheers!" The group tapped their glasses together. As they drank to Anna's future success, a strange hush fell over the tower room and the music unexpectedly began to die off.

"What's going on?" Anna said, getting to her feet. "Nancy Dodimayer said we could carry on with the party until midnight." Everybody looked around and instantly became aware of a most amazing sight. Professor Thordarson had entered the tower room. He looked regal in robes of emerald green with gold embroidery, tapping his staff as he slowly walked among them.

"Chancellor!" Eric said, in awed surprise. Setting his butter beer down, he hurried over to greet the head of the school. "This is an honor, sir." Thordarson was smiling as he shook Eric's hand.

"Not at all. Indeed, the honor is all mine. I was very happy to receive Anna's invitation earlier today. Happy Birthday, Eric," Thordarson said kindly, patting him on the shoulder. Eric looked at Anna with a disbelieving grin and found his sister smiling back at him.

"Thank you, sir," said Eric. "Can I offer you refreshment?" he asked, motioning to the elf named Tisket, who happily scampered over with a tray of drinks. Gabby also came bouncing up behind him, hoisting up a plate of hors d'oeuvres**.**

"Oh — no, thank you. Actually, I can't stay long. I have a fire chat scheduled with the Head Master of Hogwarts this evening about the Triwizard Tournament. Albus is never tardy, I must be prompt. I just wanted to stop in and quickly pay my respects."

"Thank you, Professor. Thank you for taking the time."

Thordarson smiled. "I do have two things to deliver to you before I leave," the Chancellor said, rather mysteriously. He started to fumble within the pockets of his robes. "Now where did I put it? Oh dear… did I leave it…? Ah… here it is." He pulled out a tiny box, no larger than a grape, wrapped in purple foil and a bow. With two long and very white fingers, he handed the box to Eric. "This… is from your father. He had planned to send it to you by owl, but I insisted he allow me to present it to you properly."

"Thank you very much, Professor, but you needn't have gone to all the trouble." The Chancellor humbly waved off whatever effort it might have been as Eric unwrapped the small box and pinched open the lid. Several students gathered in close to see what might be inside the tiny package.

Eric looked up. "Empty," he said uncertainly.

"Really?" Thordarson said, smiling. "Are you sure?"

Eric looked again. Indeed the box looked completely empty; nothing inside its blackened depths. Suddenly Eric realized that the box had no bottom, just a seamless cube of nothingness in the center of his palm. And then, unexpectedly, Eric noticed a speck of something moving, slowly turning, inside the blackness of the box. The small bit of white light was now growing larger from within. A moment later, the dot, now resembling that of a tiny hurricane, began to swirl and rotate, gathering more speed by the second. As the storm enlarged, the sides of the little box containing it split and were instantaneously sucked into the swirling mass now raging the size of a large grapefruit in Eric's palm. He slowly extended his hand away in proportion to the storm's growing size, not knowing whether he should drop the thing or throw it out the nearest tower window. Several onlookers began to back away from him.

"You might consider setting that down, Eric," the Chancellor said amusingly. Eric didn't need any persuasion. He immediately walked to the center of the room where Anna joined him. He slowly set the raging storm down, which had now grown to the size of a beach ball. He then slowly backed away, resembling a man looking to be rid of some ticking time bomb.

"Eric — what is it?" Anna asked, looking at the object now spinning faster in the middle of the room, causing the air to blow around them. Bright flecks of lightning could be seen flashing out of the storm, which had now grown larger than the piano sliding away from the pressure next to it. The storm began to wobble and then bounce up and down, looking like some living thing seething and pulsating angrily.

"I have no idea," Eric admitted.

Several students tried to speak over the wind now howling around them, which was whipping their robes and hair in a clockwise direction inside the tower room. The storm was now huge; the size of a large automobile and, abandoning any remaining courage, the students in the room pressed themselves flat against the tower walls and squinted through the blowing, near blinding wind thrashing around them. Even Professor Thordarson moved back to the edge of the circled room, but kept an amused grin planted firmly on his face.

The hurricane continued to grow, now getting taller, before splitting itself in two. The two halves of the gale looked like growing tornados gyrating furiously, and emitting a purplish mist into the air around them. A loud and ugly roar was heard screeching from one of the twisting giants whose rotation seemed to be slowing now, changing like some mist-cloaked object walking out of the surface of the Mirror of Enlightenment.

The second storm had ceased rotating as well, and curled over onto itself as if bowing to the other. It straightened with a jerk and arched back to let out a roar so loud that the walls of the tower room seemed to shake on its foundation. One of the Artisan girls let out a scream in reply. The two shapes were sprouting protrusions from their backs, extending high into the ceiling and then curled down nearly to the floor. Another limb seemed to eject itself from what one might likely call the body of the thing. It elongated, wrapping itself around its body –– a tail perhaps. Anna's eyes shot to the top of the body, expecting some kind of head to show itself and, sure enough, in the exact spot she was watching, another protrusion blossomed there. Thick and long, it grew high toward the ceiling before sprouting two more appendages, like arms thrusting themselves forward, and now Anna knew exactly what the shapes were.

"Dragons!" she whispered out loud. Eric looked at her and then up again at the shapes now screeching and bellowing angrily at each another. He tilted his head to the side, trying to recognize what Anna was seeing through the cloudy haze, and now he could see them too. Two enormous dragons suddenly appeared from out of the mist. Their heads were stretching and forming fanged mouths, the elongated protrusions on their backs split themselves to create enormous, beating wings. Suddenly two massive eyes opened to reveal white, boiling orbs that emitted smoke.

"Oh my God, they're dragons!" somebody yelled from the crowd, and several students moved toward the doors of the tower room thinking to escape. The two dragons reared and bellowed; their images now clear for all to see. One of the beasts was black and the other white, and they looked down upon the crowd below them with eager longing. One of the girls in the crowd screamed again, as the dragons bellowed fire down into the crowd. But what should have created a stampede of terror toward the doors suddenly did not, and an unexpected tranquility seemed to calm everybody where they stood. The crowd looked up in awe at the ferocious beasts that now seemed to turn upon each other. They breathed fire, and took massive swipes with their black talons the size of a man at one another. They fought savagely, their ghostly tails whipping across the floor and through the tower walls, striking each other where they could. Their powerful wings began to rise and fall, struggling to keep the heavy brutes aloft, while their scaled bodies thrust themselves forward in deadly combat.

"They'll destroy the castle!" somebody yelled, as the white dragon reared back and shot fire at the black. The black screamed in pain, and then lashed out with its knife-like claws. The white bellowed in agony. Suddenly, something moved to separate them from the ceiling. It was lowering itself between them as they continued to fight and brawl. It was a massive sword. Turning and glinting, its steel shined bright, reflecting the blooming fireballs bellowed by the giants as its twin, razor edges slid down between them. Angry at the object now separating them, the two dragons seemed to turn on the sword. Thrashing and spitting fire at the steel, they howled angrily, trying to get at each other, but the sword would not allow their battle to continue. With one deafening and final roar, the two dragons screamed in utter frustration and then reared back as if to suck in all the air from the room around them. Their heads shot forward, blasting fire they hoped would kill the other. The flames exploded in the center around the sword, filling the entire tower with a scorching heat that blinded those watching below. Nearly everybody in the room dropped to the floor in fright.

Suddenly the tower was quiet and the students gathered themselves to stand once again, surprised to be alive. The two dragons and the sword were frozen in mid air, rotating in a circle for all to see. The purple mist within the tower collected around the beasts, and the dragons seemed to deflate and then flatten to face each other, the sword still between them. The scene became a massive tapestry still rotating slowly above the crowd. The smoke finally cleared and everybody was left speechless at the wonderful, embroidered tapestry, twenty feet tall, suspended high in the tower room. A soft muffled clapping could be heard from the side, and everybody looked over to see Professor Thordarson smiling appreciatively up at the new hanging. The crowd smiled and then joined the Chancellor with their applause.

"Amazing!"

"Incredible!"

"Wonderful!"

"It's the Guardian crest!"

"That's unbelievable!" said TJ, bouncing up and down and clapping madly.

"That's daddy," Anna said, leaning over to her brother who was clapping with the rest. Eric looked down at Anna, nodding a smiled reply.

"Our father isn't known for doing anything in a small way, is he?" he mused. Eric looked over at Professor Thordarson and then turned serious. "Uh… sorry about this, Professor. I… guess my father's gift went a little overboard."

The Chancellor moved to join them still smiling. "Not to worry, my dear boy," he said, staring at the tapestry with delighted wonder. He leaned in. "Although I did think it best to cast a calming charm over the tower at the height of the battle," he said, beaming through his dark spectacles. Eric and Anna remembered the feeling of peaceful tranquility floating over them just at the moment when they thought to run from the tower. They both smiled gratefully.

"Now," Thordarson continued, "I must give you my gift," he said, looking again at Eric.

"Oh, but sir," Eric replied in surprise, "you really didn't have to bother…"

"Tut-tut," Thordarson said, stopping him with a wave. "I must admit, however, that my offering cannot in any way surpass your father's skill of the dramatic," he said, pointing toward the tapestry in the ceiling again. The crowd laughed. "In fact, I seem to remember that Anna's birthday will soon be upon us as well. So let me allow your attempts to dissuade my generosity to only go so far as to say that my gift to you can certainly be shared." Eric and Anna looked at each other and grinned.

Without another word, Professor Thordarson turned and headed for the tunnel doors. Stopping a few feet from their center, he waved his staff and the orb on top glowed briefly. The doors clicked and slowly moved to swing open.

"You may come in now."

The crowd gathered around the opening and watched as several other students began filing into the tower room. They marched in a straight line, shortest in the front, their heads ramping up to a huge senior classman bringing up the rear. They stopped and turned to face the crowd, their faces hooded in black. Eric frowned as he inspected this strange sight, and then noticed the commonality that had brought the group together there.

"Guardians!" Eric whispered. Anna pushed her way through the crowd and beheld an incredible sight. Twelve new Guardians stood before them, wearing Union stripes of purple. "But how? I should have been told about this," Eric said, disbelievingly. "I should have been informed."

"That… was my doing," Thordarson explained. "It would seem that after one particularly… ah… eventful evening in the dueling hall last week, we received a flood of eager willingness to reenter the Mirror of Enlightenment," the Chancellor said amusedly. "My staff," he said chuckling and shaking his head, "were quite overwhelmed by the rush of so many willing to try. We decided to bring all those who wanted to reenter the mirror in on a single night; this night, in fact. More than a hundred students entered, and now these courageous few have been moved into their new lodgings within the Server Hall." Thordarson looked around at all the new Guardians surrounding him. "Oh dear…" he said worriedly, "at this rate, a new Guardian Hall _must_ be a consideration." The crowd in the tower room began to cheer as each of the new Guardians lowered their hoods.

"John!" Eric yelled, recognizing the huge seventh-year boy at the end of the line. "Old man — what are you doing here?" he said, walking over to shake the boy's enormous hand. Anna recognized the student immediately. He was the burly Laborer who had raised her high after her triumph over Debbie Dunning. Anna's eyes began to well with tears.

"Oh, I couldn't let you Graysons grab all the glory for yourselves," the boy grunted, and then he grinned. "We're going to fight evil, aye?" he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

Eric's face turned serious as he leaned in to whisper. "Yes… but we may also have to fight those seeking to stop evil at any cost."

"HAH!" the giant bellowed. "The more the better!" he said, smashing his massive fist into his palm. He reached down and grabbed Eric behind the neck and pulled their foreheads together. "We shall do great things, Grayson; an army of warriors – ALL!"

Eric grabbed the brute's boulder-like head and pushed him back to stare up into his friend's happy face. "Yes… my friend. With your brand of courage, we are truly formidable!"

One by one, each of the new Guardians lowered their hood and was recognized by the students within in the tower room and Anna stepped in to shake each of their hands. When she got to the middle of the line, the person standing there hadn't removed their hood.

"Hello," Anna said anxiously, trying to peek under the hood. "Anybody I know in there?" she said, extending out her hand to shake.

"I think so," a quick and muffled voice replied. Anna recognized the voice immediately, but couldn't believe it unless she saw for herself. Anna reached up and yanked the back of the hood down to reveal the girl hiding there. Fine strands of blond hair fell out.

"GWEN!"

Gwendolyn Reese smiled back at her best friend. "Got any room for a piano player in this club," she said humorously.

On the fourth floor of the Server Hall, several girls had finished climbing the steps and turned as one toward their rooms. They were stopped by the sudden, odd-sounding _ka-chunk-ching _over Anna's door. They looked up to read the message:

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[35]**_

99


	29. The Rat

Chapter 29d19 – The Rat

Chapter 29

The Rat

Sidney was sitting at a bar in an unfamiliar section of town. Although he had lived in the city his entire life, Chicago was far too big to say he'd seen everything, been everywhere. He didn't know anybody in this place except for his bartender of the last five minutes. He heard somebody behind him call the burly barman _Lightie_, obviously a nickname; Sidney didn't really care. He sat alone on his stool, mindlessly stirring the contents in his glass. He stabbed at the ice and watched it bob within the amber fluid, listening to it crackle against the side of the tumbler. It was his first drink in more than twenty years.

The room was dark and exceedingly gloomy as compared to his normal taste in establishments, but that didn't seem to matter tonight either. The jukebox didn't commit itself to any particular genre, just a random array of pop and the occasional twang of country. Sidney peeked into the mirror behind the bar and stared at himself looking back. There was something unfamiliar and odd in that face he thought he knew so well. It wasn't because of the multi-colored bulbs surrounding the mirror that were ugly anytime outside the Christmas holiday –– no. It was… his eyes. They looked distant and blank, as if too tired to bring forth the effort necessary to focus. His eyes looked the way his mind felt, lost and vacant.

His wife had noticed it too and she did ask what was troubling him, but instead of telling her something he knew would ease her mind, he simply told her he didn't know. He wasn't lying. Like his wife, he knew something wasn't right, but Sidney couldn't say what it might be and was almost too afraid to describe how it made him feel.

His analytical mind was normally very sharp, set in the ways of cause and effect. That's the way it had always been. He could depend on his intellect, his ability to set aside the trivial and focus on the root-cause of things. Many were the times that his underlings at work would come into his office in a state of panic to tell him about some crisis of monumental impact to his firm. And those same employees never left of his office without marveling at Sidney's ability to focus on the true issue and then redirect his team's efforts toward the proper solution. He was very good at what he did; the kind of person his employees wanted to emulate.

He fished a chunk of ice from out of his glass and popped it into his mouth. Although the alcohol was minimal, it tasted like he had taken a swig straight out of the bottle. It felt like his throat was on fire and he almost choked.

"Maybe that'll wake me up," he wheezed, looking at himself in the mirror again through his watered eyes.

It would have been accurate to say his feelings of strangeness were frightening enough, but there was more. Two months ago he found ticket stubs in his briefcase from a flight to Boston and then to England. Normally this wouldn't have seemed strange. After all, men in his position travel for their employers all of the time. The problem was he didn't remember taking the trip or even going to the airport. His wallet also contained restaurant and hotel receipts from places that he couldn't recall visiting at all. In fact, he couldn't remember anything about the dates he was to have been abroad.

"Why can't I remember?" Sidney said, frustratedly, rubbing his forehead. _What happened to me?_

When he first realized that he was missing these days from his memory, Sidney was terrified. He thought he might have suffered a stroke. That's how his father had died, and he was now exactly the same age as his father when he was struck down. But as the days slowly passed, there were no more blackouts, nothing to suggest there were continuing problems with his health. He even had an MRI done by a family doctor he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years. He didn't tell his wife, of course. No use worrying her unless it turned out something was definitely wrong.

After reviewing the results, it was concluded that he was in no immediate danger, no blood-filled shadows in the film anywhere across his brain. In fact, there were no signs of trouble at all, but neither was there anything to explain his loss of time. His doctor finally pronounced the problems were probably due to stress, or perhaps a lack of sleep. Nonsense; although the scans and tests were normal, Sidney knew there was definitely something wrong. He could feel it, weighing on his brain like a large brick sitting in the place where his memories should have been, and every time he tried to think about those missing days, the brick seemed to become heavier and much more painful to carry.

After two frustrating months trying to remember, the only thing he could recall was that he was supposed to have met with a very important client in Chicago after his return from England. Eventually, he was even able to summon the idea that it was imperative he speak to this person at the time. _But_ w_ho was it? And why can't I remember?_

Sidney stabbed at his ice again. His boss, John Landers, knew something was wrong too. The President of his bank had been acting very strange toward Sidney lately. Every time he looked, it seemed Mr. Landers was watching him closely. Then his boss did something he had never done in Sidney's twenty-six years at the firm. He relieved Sidney of an important client. Landers said he wanted to take personal control of the _Grayson_ account. He told Sidney that Boris Grayson was a close, personal friend of his, and that he, Mr. Landers, wanted to insure the Grayson investments were managed with the utmost care. But if Grayson and Landers were friends, all the more reason the bank's president should stay away from the account, leaving any hint of impropriety aside. And ever since Sidney had been relieved of the Grayson portfolio, something about that action made him feel farther away from understanding the missing pieces of his memory.

His personal journal should have filled in most of the blanks. After all, he carried it with him everywhere he went. Looking through his notes, he found something truly startling. Some of the pages were _missing_. Not a lot, just one here and there, hardly noticeable to anybody but Sidney himself. And it wasn't that the pages were torn from his book… that would have been too obvious. He noticed certain pages were repeated, almost photocopied, with the same thoughts from previous dates. Even some of his doodles were copied and placed into the missing gaps.

Once he noticed this remarkable bit of disguise, Sidney set about the task of finding out what was missing from the pages of his journal. He sat down and went through his notes, page by page, three hundred in all, looking for any references to people, places, and the times they were together. He listed out the names, addresses, and appointments, whom he had met and why. He started to build a separate list summarizing everybody within his journal. Once again, Sidney's analytical brain was in overdrive, looking to find what was missing.

When he finished going through the journal, he compared this summary to his personal files. They were all there, of course: The Randolph account, the Bradleys of Dallas, the Hutsons in San Francisco, the Baker investments, the Kesslers, the Morgans, Smid, R.A. Bosley, Cartwright, Marts, the Bernteins –– everybody was there. Everybody, that is, except for one… the Grayson account. There was no mention of it anywhere in his journal. _How could it be that I wouldn't have any notes on such an important account? And why can't I remember anything about it? Why wasn't it there?_ Had he somehow forgotten that he, Sidney, was in charge of the account? Was his lack of attention the real reason Mr. Landers had moved this client out from under his responsibility? The situation reminded him of his college days when, after staying up night after long night studying, he would have these terrible dreams about sleeping through his most important exams. The Grayson account seemed to be Sidney's recurring nightmare of forgetfulness.

And then yesterday, from out of the blue, he was hit with a letter. He meant that literally, because the letter seemed to fall straight out of the sky with only the slightest breeze of something he thought flew by to drop it upon his head.

_To Mr. Sidney Heidelbach, The Cobblestone Alleyway near Lexington Market, Chicago_.

The note, scribbled in a jerky almost frantic style of writing, had told him to meet with somebody here in this tumbled-down bar on an urgent matter involving one of his clients. The note didn't say which client, and Sidney's first thought was to throw the letter away as a prank. But the writer also said they were disappointed Sidney had not acted after their first meeting in August. _What meeting? What was this person talking about?_ Blaming his faulty memory again, Sidney felt a guilt-ridden obligation to be here and to offer what he could of an explanation for his failings.

So here he sat, staring at himself in the ugly-colored glow of the mirror, waiting for somebody he didn't know, and hoping whoever it was could help him find the missing pieces of this life. He looked determinedly at his own face again. He was going to take this drink, even though he promised himself and his wife two decades ago that he would never drink again. He wanted the strong smell of it so bad. After all, an analytical mind in a dull haze would be far better than one with gaps.

"Hello, M…M…Mr. Heidelbach."

Sidney was startled at his name and looked around. A very short, round man was standing there in a dirty cloak and hood.

"Ah… hello. Have… we met? Are you the one who wrote the letter?"

"Yes," said the man, nervously. "M…m…my name is Peter. We m…met last summer." The man circled around to sit on the stool next to him. He lowered his hood and waved to the bartender.

"F…f…fire whisky, please."

"How about Jimmy Beam?" Lightie growled, slamming a tumbler down on the bar. The man calling himself Peter jumped slightly in his stool.

"Thank you. That w…w…will be fine."

Sidney frowned. He couldn't remember anything about the man. "My apologies, mister… um…"

"Peter, p…p…please…"

"Peter…" Sidney repeated slowly, rechecking his memory. "I'm very sorry, Peter, but… I'm afraid I don't recall our first meeting at all. I've been… um… a little out of sorts lately." The man sitting next to him looked skeptical.

"Yes… well, I wouldn't know about that, but that's w…w…why I've come here."

Sidney stared at the stranger. The man was sweating profusely from his balding head. His beady, black eyes avoided any long lasting contact, and this alone told Sidney the man was somebody that shouldn't be trusted. His accent was British, but there was something in the stranger's manner that concerned him; something Sidney saw many times in men entering his office just before they knew they were about to be terminated. It was fear.

"Are you all right?" Sidney asked him, trying to be polite. The man ignored the question.

"The first time we m…m…met, I gave you some important information that my mast… ah… the man I serve… knew would be of interest to you. You must understand, the m…m…man I serve is very powerful, and does not share his wealth, gold or otherwise, with just anyone. He is upset that you have not yet p…p…put this information to good use."

"I… have no idea what you're talking about," Sidney replied honestly. "Listen… you should know that… I've been a little ill lately. There are many things that I seem to have forgotten during the time you mentioned. If you gave me something important…" Sidney hesitated, hanging his head in obvious bewilderment, "I… just don't remember anything about it."

Peter seemed even more anxious than before. "Oh… my m…m…master will be very angry," he shuddered, in a squeaky-little voice. Sidney looked at the man and watched him drink his whisky down in three shaking gulps.

"Another?" barked Lightie. Peter nodded before looking back to Sidney again.

"Three months ago, I told you about … ah… what was it you called it? An acc…cc…acc…"

"An account?"

"Yes — yes. An account, yes."

"Was it a personal account or a business account?"

"B…b…business. The account was attached to a very powerful family in _our world_. The person in charge of this account represents many families in our world."

_Our world?_ Sidney thought. _What was he talking about?_

"M…m…my m…m…master wants… no… he DEMANDS… that the interaction between our two worlds remain separate. He is most unrelenting about this. We should not be in contact with _your_ kind."

Sidney frowned, but his business savvy was already kicking into high gear. Loss of memory or not, he was still a strong advocate for his company's capabilities.

"I… can understand that in some parts of the world, there exists cultural differences that must be preserved. I can assure you, my firm is most respectful of these differences."

"Our dealings with you will be severed!" Peter insisted.

Sidney was taken aback. "You mean… you wish to have the account closed?"

"Yes — yes. Close it. Remove it. Stop it!" The stranger reached out just short of grabbing Sidney.

"But, if the account is as large as you say it is, and if this person in charge of the account represents many, I don't know that we would just close our business with them without cause."

Peter's eyes widened. "But we talked about this last summer. Don't you remember?" he said in a panicked voice. "That is exactly what my m…m…master gave to you, a cause to c…c…close the account. He gave you vital information about some of the assets being delivered to your firm. These assets were illegally acquired. My m…m…master gave me the information to give to you. Ohhh… he is going to be very angry with us…" Peter said. He raised his drink and the glass rattled violently in his trembling hand as he swallowed it down.

Sidney had seen men like this before. In fact, he had hired an army of private investigators over the years to help his company track down the accuracy of information given to them by men such as this. His investigators had a name for people like Peter; they would have called him a fink, a snitch, a _rat_.

Sidney could see the man was distraught; he tried to reach out. "If you're telling me an account we manage is doing something illegal on behalf of others, then… of course, that cannot be ignored. Maybe if you told me the name of the account, I could check into it again. But you have to understand; I can't just take your word on it. I must have a reason to investigate one of our clients."

"BUT MY MASTER GAVE YOU THOSE REASONS," Peter insisted, almost yelling before jerking around to insure he hadn't drawn anybody's attention. "The owner of this account is a very evil man," he said, rocking back and forth nervously. "He has stolen the riches he gives to you from many in our world! My master says he has killed many! He must be stopped!"

Sidney looked skeptical. It wasn't _what_ Peter was saying that bothered him, but rather, the panicked way in which he was saying it. Sidney was an expert is reading people accurately. It was a necessary quality for a man in his position working for a major investment firm. The understanding of information, be it real or not, was in reality what set good investment companies apart from their competition. Sidney was very good at getting to a person's hidden motives, and one thing was sure in this case; this man Peter, whoever he was, was lying to him. But this man was also frightened beyond measure. The panicked fear he was now displaying surely wasn't an act. He was physically shaking and his eyes were almost wild in anxious distress. At this point, Sidney knew the man would say almost anything to convince him to act, but who was he really afraid of? Was it this yet unnamed account or the person Peter liked to call _his master_?

"Maybe if you told me the name of the account, I could do a little checking. I won't promise you anything, but I'm willing to… ah… take a closer look."

"Yes — yes — you must act! My master will be most upset if you fail."

"The account, then?"

Peter looked around them again and then leaned in to whisper. "_Grayson_," he said timidly. Sidney jerked back, almost falling off his stool in surprise.

"What did you say? Grayson? Are… are you sure about that?"

"Yes — yes, absolutely sure. You must sever all ties with this man and the people he represents. He is evil.

_Lying again._

"He must not be allowed to bring our worlds together. My master won't stand for it. Your world is inferior, dirty, worthless," Peter spat.

Sidney scowled. Their obvious societal differences aside, he could see this man was more apt to be labeled a cultural racist than an ambassador of vital information. He got the impression that if Peter and his so called _master_ had their way, Sidney's world might be terminated in some kind of cultural genocide.

"So… your um… master is part of this world Grayson represents?"

"Grayson DOES NOT represent my master!" Peter yelped, stricken to the point of almost passing out. "My master would kill Grayson if given the opportunity. Grayson must be stopped — he must be stopped! My master insists that you act!"

"Easy –– Peter, easy. I said I'd check into it, I promise." And this time Sidney meant what he was saying. He didn't care that the man sitting next to him was lying or afraid of something he didn't quite understand. All that mattered to Sidney now was getting back to his office and somehow gaining access to the Grayson account once more. The missing pages from his journal were references to Grayson, he was sure of it. His boss, Mr. Landers, removed the Grayson account from him without cause or reason. And now, he was convinced the days missing in his mind were connected to Grayson as well. He now knew, beyond any doubt, that the important client he was to have met in Chicago was none other than Grayson himself. It didn't make a lot of sense to him at the moment, but Sidney knew one thing for sure: If he was going to get the missing pieces of his mind back, those answers somehow resided in his company's business dealings with Grayson.

"You promise… this time you will act?" Peter asked him anxiously.

Sidney looked at the man, almost bothered by the fact he was still sitting next to him. "Yes, Peter… I will try and confirm what it is you've told me. How can I contact you again?"

"I will contact you. My m…m…master needs my constant care. He only gave me permission to be away for one hour to meet with you. I must return to him now."

"So… he's in Chicago, then?"

"No… my master is…" he hesitated, "… abroad," he finished, evasively. Peter reached out to shake Sidney's hand, seeking to bond him to the promises just made. Sidney could see the man's right index finger was missing.

"Goodbye, Mr. Heidelbach. I will be in c…c…contact with you again… probably in the summer. Please, I beg you; stop your dealings with Grayson. My m…m…master will not tolerate your inaction again."

The man raised the hood of his dirty cloak and then turned to leave, but before he reached the door, Sidney called out to him again.

"You never told me your last name?" But the man calling himself Peter didn't stop to reply. He moved outside, quickly looked around, and then disappeared into the night.

Sidney sat back down at the bar and shoved his drink away. He didn't want it anymore. Looking at himself in the mirror once again, the person looking back seemed more familiar this time, more determined. Peter, or whoever he was, had given him a clue, something to help him regain a part of what had been taken away from him. Anger was raging inside Sidney's heart. Somebody stole a piece of his mind and he wanted it back. How dare somebody do this to him?

"It's time we met again, _Mister… Grayson_."

105


	30. The First Task

Chapter 30d25 – The First Task

Chapter 30

The First Task

ONE

The days leading up to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament were exciting at Castlewood. Not only did the events from England bring with it an unusual amount of anticipation, but the fact the tournament had come so close to the Thanksgiving Day holiday meant classes had ended early that week, and brought with it, as it always did, a festive warm up to Christmas.

There were an unusual number of parents being escorted by their children through the school, and several tours lead by members of the Crimson Guard. Captain Dunning was strangely gracious to these guests, although most of the students believed his willingness to fly open the doors of the school were due more to the Chancellor's sociable hospitality than anything the Captain of the Guard had thought to do on his own.

Anna was especially nervous. After the first Triwizard task, she would be riding in her very first Vollucross race in front of the entire school and the town of Spellsburg. And just as Doctor Pearl had predicted, Anna's practices were being monitored closely by the odds-makers in town, and several local newspaper articles had been written referencing her as, _'The newcomer in town, who might very well reset everybody's expectations for the upcoming season.' _Anna's unusual visibility in the newspapers seemed to heighten her popularity at the school to uncomfortable levels she never thought possible.

Anna believed she could do without all the extra attention, but Eric was thrilled. In his mind, the more the Guardians were seen in a positive light, the better their chances were for adding to their ranks. He likened them to a force of destiny and, to prove his point, her brother took the time to deliver three strong presentations on the mission of the Guardians in one of the school's largest classrooms. The groups of students willing to come and listen to these discussions were surprisingly large, due in part to their curiosity over all the new Guardians walking through the halls of Castlewood after Eric's birthday. The lectures were absolutely brilliant, and Anna believed many students left the talks pondering their own role within their current unions. Sure enough, within just a few days following Eric's efforts, eight more Guardians were announced to the school. It seemed her brother was right. The juggernaut that was the Guardian cause was rolling along at an unstoppable pace.

Then there was Anna's birthday, which brought with it an array of wonderful gifts from both her family and her friends at the school. Her father had given her a new Vollucross bridle with the Grayson crest for each side of Swooper's jaw, along with a magnificent Guardian shield for the top of his forehead. It would seem her father was anxious to create as many things Guardian as he could. Gabby had made her a Vollucross safety harness to go with the new bridle. Although Anna appreciated the elf's efforts, she ended up stripping away most of the heavy chains Gabby had expected her to wear wrapped around her waist and neck. Apparently, when it came to her mistress's personal safety, the Grayson house elf didn't have a lot of faith in the equipment being offered by the school.

While all the gifts were wonderful, for Anna, it was exciting enough just to be at Castlewood. She couldn't believe, just a few months ago, all she could have hoped for was another quiet birthday alone with her father. In fact, this would be the first birthday Anna could ever remember sharing with Eric, and her brother was making the most of it.

It wasn't Eric's gift of amethyst earrings that made her birthday special; it was the manner in which he had them delivered. Her present came in a small, white box couriered personally by Hobbs. Totally recovered from his injuries in the attack by the Crimson Guard at Saint Drogo's castle, Eric had painstakingly nursed Hobbs back to perfect health, and although he still had a few blackened feathers, Hobbs' flying abilities were nearly perfect in the bright morning dawn of Anna's thirteenth birthday. Anna was so excited to have Hobbs back that she nearly crushed him in her howling embrace. It was her greatest birthday ever.

But the best gift of all was having Gwen as a fellow Guardian. Anna found out Gwen had gone to her parents after all and requested that she be allowed to walk through the Mirror of Enlightenment in support of what Anna was doing, but they had refused to give their consent. Anna couldn't blame them. After all, Gwen was already exactly where everybody believed she should be — in the Artisan Union, studying her music.

Then, in an act of courage Anna would have never thought possible on her behalf, Gwen reentered the mirror anyway with her parents' threats still ringing in her ears. Steadfastly stubborn, Gwen told Anna her only regret about her decision was her becoming the fifteenth Guardian and not the second.

But Mr. and Mrs. Reese did not willingly accept Gwen's decision or, in their mind, the appalling results. In short order, they both unexpectedly arrived at Spellsburg on the iron gray morning following the day they were notified of Gwen's change of Union. Intent on removing their daughter from Castlewood entirely, it was only due to the personal intervention by Chancellor Thordarson himself that made them relent and allow her to stay at the school.

Thordarson assured Mr. and Mrs. Reese that Gwen's study of music would continue within the newly formed Union of Guardians. In fact, the Chancellor had informed Gwen in front of her parents that she was required and obligated to continue, and that he would _'Throw her out of Castlewood himself' _if her lessons fell behind. Knowing how much Gwen truly loved the piano, Anna could only imagine how secretly relieved she must have been to understand that, whatever her future might be as a Guardian, her music would continue to be a key part of her future at the school.

Armed with the knowledge they had an ally in Thordarson, the Reeses left Spellsburg after delivering a much-intensified threat of severe reprisals if Gwen ever stepped out of line again. And although Anna saw Gwen acting the part of a bravely defiant daughter after her parents had departed, she could tell their message had settled in Gwen like never before. Yes… Gwendolyn Reese would toe the line at Castlewood for a very long time to come; at least a week, maybe even longer.

There was only one thing left undone as the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approached, and that was Anna's decision of what question she would ask the Verosapt. Unfortunately, she was no closer to making that decision than the day she had first found out about the Jennings' family oracle. As Anna lay in bed staring out at the evening, and listening to the last minutes of her birthday tick by, she decided to put her decision off until after the Christmas holiday. Perhaps she would have a better idea of what to ask after she had a chance to speak to her father about the other things he hinted of in his letter. Besides, she had a whole year to decide what to ask. In her mind, there was no rush.

As the last three minutes of Anna's birthday slipped away, Hobbs sat outside her window objectively pondering in which direction to begin the evening's hunt. Anna recalled Titan's story about her mother, which was something she had been doing nearly every night before dropping off the sleep. She smiled at the thought of Victoria Grayson moving through the same corridors she herself traveled every day.

Two minutes left. Anna saw herself using the new riding bridle, and how she would hide from Gabby the fact she had no intension of using the chain-laden safety harness the elf had given her as a gift.

One minute to go. Suddenly, Anna heard a soft click below her feet and sat bolt upright looking at her dresser. Her reaction to the sound made her realize she had somehow expected this, almost like an unwanted dinner guest arriving at her door earlier than expected. The familiar red beam of light blazed from the top of the kaleidoscope and spread itself wide. She could see the billowing, gray clouds rushing forward, this time reaching into the room all around her. Anna looked quickly over to Sarah who was snoozing peacefully, still facing the wall opposite. From out of the clouds, Anna could hear the deep, rumbling voice speaking over the sound of trickling water and chirping crickets.

"_Thy day of thy entry has nearly passed, Jennings. Why have you not called out to the Verosapt?"_ Although the great ape didn't appear to her, Anna could still hear the sardonic tone in the beast's voice over some growling thing next to him in the forest. Obviously, he was anxious to get their business over with quickly. Anna glanced over to Sarah again. Her roommate continued to sleep undisturbed.

"I haven't decided what to ask," Anna whispered back. "I didn't know you could come here on your own." She could hear the impatient snarl in its response.

"_The Verosapt is not without power, little one. We who are all within the kingdom go where we please, when it pleases us to do so. Ask thy question Jennings! The truth awaits."_

"I said — I'm not ready yet." Anna replied edgily. "I still have a whole year to ask my question… it doesn't have to me now." There was a loud chatter, mixed with the buzz of thousands in the background. There seemed to be many others eagerly waiting to hear her question.

"_Insolent human… why dost it hold the Verosapt hostage so?"_

"I'm not doing anything of the sort. I'm just… undecided." There was a long pause before the clouds rumbled their reply.

"_If it is –– as it claims –– undecided, it wouldst be a first for us to witness. Couldst be thine uncertainty is not in what thou wouldst ask, but how thy world might change in the truth of what it seeks? Many have called our knowledge a gift, but some didst also call it… a curse. What wilt it be for thee, Jennings?"_

"I don't know what you mean," Anna lied. The fact was she knew exactly what the Verosapt was hinting at. Day by day, Anna had come to think she might very well ask about the events leading up to her mother's death. Was the Verosapt hinting they knew what she wanted to ask and that there might be some kind of pain in their answer? "I will make my decision in my own time," Anna said forcefully.

There was another long pause, and then,_ "We shall see. We await thy call, daughter of Victoria. Fear not the truth in the knowledge thou seeks."_ And with these words, the grayish smoke withdrew from the room and back into the fan of light, which closed into a single beam. _"Truth is enlightenment, and in the fullness of time enlightenment befits wisdom. Sometimes the path from truth to wisdom is long and strewn with many obstacles. It is better to start soon…"_ the voice echoed, before dropping down into the ruby of YU once more. After checking that Sarah was still sleeping, Anna laid back in her four-poster.

_The path from truth to wisdom is long and strewn with obstacles. _"Does that mean… if the truth is something unexpected, then the path to understanding it could be difficult?"She rolled over and forced her eyes closed. _All the more reason to take my time._

TWO

On the early morning of November twenty-fourth, the entire school was buzzing with excitement. The day had finally come; the Triwizard Tournament was about to begin. For Anna, she didn't know what was more exciting, watching something the Wizarding world had equated to a Muggle Olympic event, or her participation in her first Vollucross race afterwards.

The Guardian breakfast table was a bit more crowded these days, now that their number had suddenly grown to twenty-three, and for the first time since she had arrived at the school, Anna felt like she was finally part of a real Union. It was a nice feeling being a part of a larger group.

Finally, the message was sent throughout the castle. "All students wishing to see the Triwizard Tournament — please follow your Union Knights to the castle entranceway. The tournament will begin in one hour."

"Good luck, you two," Gwen said to Anna and Eric. "Bring home some Vollucross glory for the Guardians."

Eric smiled, and then nodded his strong determination to fulfill her request.

"Am I supposed to be this nervous before the race?" Anna asked her brother anxiously. Eric put his arm around his sister and grinned.

"You only have to worry if you get as worked up about these races as I do," he said with a smirk.

"You? Don't tell me you're nervous too."

Eric looked around them guardedly and then leaned forward. "I always try to keep myself in a very high state of anxiety in the days leading up to these events," he said, jokingly. "To tell you the truth, that's how I keep my edge." Anna laughed. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. You've trained hard, you have an excellent mount, you're using the best equipment, and we'll be riding together as a team. You're as ready as you'll ever be."

Anna was grateful for his confidence. "I just don't want to let you down." The worry in her voice was obvious.

"Are you planning on going into this thing half-heartedly?" Anna's eyes widened and Eric laughed at her appalled expression. "I didn't think so. As long as I see you giving it your best, I'll be happy no matter what the results. Come on… let's get outta here."

They gathered themselves up and, after a few more supportive handshakes from their fellow Guardians, they headed off with the crowd toward the castle entranceway. As they walked through the main doors and across the drawbridge, they were met by a number of townspeople.

"Good morning, Eric. How do you feel today? Expect you'll have a good race?" asked a tall man in yellow robes. He was holding a racing form and a notepad.

"Odds-makers," Eric whispered down to Anna. "They're looking for signs of weakness. Play it cool; be humble, but confident." He turned to greet them. "I feel great, the weather is beautiful, it should be a fine day for flying," he answered the man.

"And… how about your sister? We've been reading a lot about her lately; the first fully qualified egg in twenty years. Do you think she's ready for the race today?" Eric turned with the rest of the students off the bridge and onto the cobblestone streets of the Spellsburg. There, they merged with a large crowd of townspeople heading toward the city gates.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Eric replied, stepping to the side to reveal Anna purposely walking in his shadow. Four more men in yellow robes immediately moved in. "Humble, but confident," Eric muttered down to her.

"Well… how about it, Miss Grayson? Do you expect to win today?" asked a man to her right.

Anna tried to smile. "The weather is perfect and I have a strong horse," she replied. "I've trained very hard, so I hope to do my best." The men in yellow grinned as they wrote in their pads.

A second man stepped in. "We understand that you've been training on just one horse, Miss Grayson. Is that true?"

"Anna –– please –– call me Anna." The group walked through the city gates and then turned toward the stadium. The men in yellow were walking backwards as they continued to scribble in their notepads.

"Okay, Anna, why don't you tell us about your horse. Doctor Pearl and Mister Kingston won't let anybody near the stables."

Anna smiled again. She loved talking about her mount to anybody who would listen. "Well, his name is Swooper, he's seven years old, and his breed is Mountain Thorse. He's a very strong…"

"Isn't it true, Anna, that this Thorse you ride is the only animal you've ever trained on?" another man interrupted.

The massive crowd was now merging together onto the plateau. Several wizards and witches wearing various colored robes and hats were talking excitedly as the large group moved as one toward the stadium.

"Well… yes. Swooper is the only flying horse I've ever ridden. But I've been riding all my life."

"But the Vollucross season can be long, and if your ability to ride well is based on the health and ability of just one horse, how can the fans be assured we can count on you to play a strong part later in the season?"

Anna didn't like the tone of the question. It seemed more like a well-disguised accusation rather than something a person on the street might really want to know.

"If you're asking me if I'd continue to ride if something ever happened to Swooper, the answer is no," she said, somewhat irritated. "I only took up this sport because of Swooper. I can't see myself flying without him."

"How about you, Eric?" said another odds-maker to her brother. "You don't seem to have any _limitations_ dependent on the mount you ride. Can we depend on the Guardian team or not?"

The question surprised and immediately infuriated Anna, but Eric simply smiled. "We all have our favorite mounts, and each rider feels they do better on some more than others. I know you guys don't like hearing that, but it's the honest truth. I think you will find one of Anna's strengths comes from her close relationship with her horse. Would she be just as good on a different mount? In my opinion — yes, I believe she would do well on any horse. However, most of the experts have already seen her on Swooper during our practice sessions, and I believe after today the true enthusiast of our sport would be disappointed if the two weren't flying together. Frankly, I'm proud of my sister's willingness to set her racing aside to care for her mount if it ever came to that."

Anna admired her brother's ability to handle the men in yellow. He was always polite, but never to the point of allowing himself to be pushed about by their questions. The men made Anna feel like she was being set up to say something stupid at the expense of her team.

They finally entered the stadium and Anna was amazed by the sight of thousands of people stacked high below a beautiful morning sky. She thought this must have been what her Muggle friend Teres was trying to describe to her when she said her father had taken her to see what she called a _football_ game. While the sight of so many people was incredible, it was the level of noise that really surprised Anna. There was a constant and absorbing hum that she could actually feel pressing against her face. She looked up at her brother and caught him smiling down at her. As he looked back up at the crowds surrounding them, she thought she almost heard his voice waver a bit.

"Amazing, isn't it? I wasn't lying when I said I'm always in a state of high anxiety." He watched the crowds pouring through the gates. "Honestly… I've given up trying to be calm before a race."

"It's incredible," Anna said in awe, looking around them. "I never realized there were so many people living in Spellsburg."

"Oh — this isn't just Spellsburg. In the last three days, the Allegheny Pride has been bringing people in from all over the Americas. Events like the Triwizard Tournament, together with Vollucross Opening Day, were bound to draw a huge crowd. Add the fact it's all happening over the Thanksgiving holiday, and you have what you see today. Mister Kingston said this is one of the biggest crowds they've ever had." Eric looked at Anna and raised his eyebrows. "Just wait until they start screaming. You'll still be hearing them yelling in your sleep tonight."

Anna smiled. Looking around again, she watched the gathering audience talking excitedly. She couldn't imagine what she was about to experience. If possible, Anna felt more nervous than when she first had entered the dueling pit.

"Now… are we straight about the spells we're allowed to use today?" her brother asked her.

"I think so." Anna remembered Doctor Pearl's book on Vollucross and how surprised she was to learn how complicated the sport could be. The book described the beginner's race in much the same way she had practiced them. However, in the more advanced levels of the sport, riders were expected to use their wands to help them gather the objects, which didn't necessarily have to be the metal rings Anna had been collecting from the checkered poles.

The _Gathering_, as it was sometimes called, might include battling with trolls for the items in their possession. Or they might be required to capture a magical creature within the forest, or skirmish with the other competitors for several objects hidden in the woods. The penalty for failure, however, was always the same: Those who did not finish or did not successfully complete the tasks given to them would be sent back or disqualified once they reached the _Amber Gates_. As if that wasn't enough, advanced riders were not required to wear a safety harness and, in honor of the sport's oldest traditions, very few of the school's seniors, including her brother, actually did.

When it was announced some moderate forms of magic would be allowed during the first race, Anna believed she wouldn't be allowed to compete. Given her novice magical abilities, she felt certain she would be grounded come Opening Day. But Eric wouldn't hear of it. Believing the Hall's honor might somehow be at risk, he and her fellow Guardians took Anna aside in the evenings to coach her on some of the second and third-year spells they thought she might need during the race. Even Professor Titan seemed willing to push Anna along in his Magical Incantations class by frequently calling on her during most of the demonstrations. Eventually, Anna was able to increase her abilities in those areas where she had to move and push objects about, but the one spell Eric wanted her to learn the most, something called _the summoning charm_, seemed to evade her capability altogether.

"Do you understand our strategy today?" Eric asked her covertly.

"Yes," Anna assured him. "Low to the ground at all times." Her brother nodded.

"Staying low is the shortest route to the first gap. With any luck, most of the riders will be watching the seniors more than a first-year. We'll use that and Swooper's speed to our advantage," he said confidently.

The riders headed toward the stable entrance where they expected to receive their final instructions and access to their mounts. Mister Kingston had each horse set in a stall overlooking the open field beyond the prying eyes of the odds-makers.

"Good morning riders," said Doctor Pearl to the group. "A beautiful day for flying. Let's review the rules for this morning's race, shall we?" The doctor looked very formal in black-velvet robes trimmed in red, topped with a crimson hat. "This is an event for qualified riders only, and each Union will be allowed up to three riders today. Since several of you only have two qualified riders on your team, we will only require two to finish in the points. The first Union to successfully get two of their riders across the finish line after completing the course through the Shadowed Forest will be declared the winner, and fifty points will be awarded toward the Chancellor's Cup." They all nodded. "Since this is not an all-senior field, you will not be allowed to use magic to hex another rider. Is that clear?" she said, sternly.

"No magic, Doctor?" asked a seventh-year Defender in surprise.

"You may use magic to help your team gather the rings and create the normal barriers to your opponents, but that is all." The senior Defender looked to protest, but Pearl cut him off. "Any student caught sending a hex at another rider, will be sent back to the stables when they pass through the _Amber Gates,_ and their team will be disqualified from the match. Is that clear enough for you, Mister Wendell?" The boy reluctantly nodded.

Eric casually leaned down and whispered, "Watch out for Michael Wendell, Anna. He's already proven he has no honor while flying. Keep a good distance from him at all times." Anna looked suspiciously over at the seventh-year boy and found him staring back at her. He grinned evilly, and Anna could tell he was proud of his less than honorable reputation. His sallow, pointed face reminded her of an older version of Damon.

"I want a clean run out there. No accidents please. Although there are points at stake, this race represents the Opening Day for our sport."

"Here it comes," whispered Eric casually again, "_The Pearl Proclamation_."

"The what?" Anna said, with a questioning smile.

"Keep in mind, all of you," the doctor continued, "your flight today represents the continuation of the strongest traditions our sport has to offer, going back nearly two thousand years. You should feel privileged and grateful to be here. Remember our code of honor while you're out there. I won't have any disgraceful underhandedness on this, our biggest Opening Day ever." She glared at Wendell again. "I'll be watching you all very closely." She finally looked at the others rather worriedly. "And — as always — be safe… please."

She pointed behind them. "Your robes are waiting for you in the locker room, and you will be watching the Hogwarts tournament with me atop the stables. Good luck — and good flying."

The riders departed for the locker rooms while the rest of the stadium continued to fill. Twenty minutes later, they reentered the stadium with their bridles and blankets draped over their arms and headed for their seats to await the start of the Triwizard Tournament.

Anna felt extremely proud wearing her new Vollucross robes. The garment was a deep purple that simmered in the morning sun. Looking closely at the cloth, she could see threads of gold woven into the fabric. The crowd celebrated the riders with loud applause as they took their seats.

A few minutes later, Anna could see Chancellor Thordarson and the Mayor of Spellsburg enter the top box to an enthusiastic cheer from the entire stadium. The two men smiled and shook hands with many of the people sitting near them under a beautiful canopy of white. Then Thordarson signaled to another wizard Eric said was Professor Bots. The man stood and then, pointing his wand to his own throat, his voice boomed over the boisterous crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens, students, faculty, and honored guests. Welcome to the City of Spellsburg and Opening Day of this year's Vollucross season." There were roaring shouts of jubilation from the now standing crowd. "On behalf of the Honorable Mayor Prower and Chancellor Thordarson of Castlewood Academy, we are pleased to present our first race.

"Our gracious host this morning, as always, is our very own Doctor Margaret Pearl, Healer, and Vollucross Steward of Castlewood." Doctor Pearl, who was seated in front of the riders above the stables, stood and acknowledged her introduction to the stadium with a happy but reserved wave.

"And let us not forget our riders for today's exciting event!" At this, Pearl turned to face the riders and motioned for them to stand. They did as one, and the stadium erupted in earth shaking howls of delighted applause. Pearl turned again to the stadium, bowed respectfully like a Roman governor, and then sat. Immediately the riders sat down behind her. The noise was pegging the needles in Anna's brain, and she couldn't help smiling at the induced excitement and pageantry of the assembly gathering around them.

"But first," Professor Bots continued, "we have a real treat for you. For the first time in over one hundred years, the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place this year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In agreement with our brother wizards in England, and the International Committee of Ministries, we are very excited to bring to you the first of what will be three tasks today. In just a few moments, you will be able to see everything as if your were there, thanks to the magic of our incredible Vollucross Hemisphere." There was more applause from the crowd as Professor Bots turned to speak with several wizards seated below him. After nodding to the men, Bots turned to the stadium once more.

"I have just been informed that the Triwizard Tournament is about to start. So, without any further delay, let us take you now… to England!" There was a cheer as Bots raised his wand high into the air and then bellowed the incantation, "_Projectius Visum Hogwarts!"_

Instantly, the morning sun streaming into the stadium darkened like the dimming lights in some gigantic theater. For a moment the sky was completely black, and then, quite suddenly, the sky burst a brilliant blue once more. But this wasn't the morning light they had just seen fading to black the moment before; it was high noon, and the noise inside the stadium seemed to double. More cheering voices were added to their own as the picture above them showed another stadium filled with students from the faraway school across the sea. They were seated high above a grassless, open area surrounded by wooden planks.

"Fantastic!" Anna whispered to Eric sitting next to her. He nodded and smiled excitedly.

The scene being sent to them looked like somebody was on a broomstick, flying over the distant stadium. The camera, or whatever it was that was projecting their view, flew low into a dirt-filled enclosure, and the dizzying scene rushing passed them was supplemented by the sound of some gigantic and beastly roar. The image rose high above the enclosure and over a waving crowd of students seated in black robes. It continued to rise above the surrounding trees to settle on a beautiful and mountainous countryside. It panned the emerald green hills and rocky ledges, and finally settled on the massive castle they called Hogwarts. The crowd around Anna pointed and '_oohed'_ at the legendary school of wizardry, and then clapped enthusiastically as a British announcer began to speak to them.

"A warm welcome to all of our wizarding friends around the world. This is Patrick O'Shea, bringing to you, for the first time ever, a remote projection of the legendary Triwizard Tournament." The overhead scene quickly changed to a portly man, speaking into his wand like a microphone.

"Good afternoon from England, everyone, and become to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The scene here is absolutely breathtaking as we finally begin, after so much press and fanfare, this tournament's first of what will be three amazing tasks. It's a wonderfully clear day here at Hogwarts, and expectations are high as we look forward to finally starting this remarkable contest. But before we do, I'd like to bring in my co-host for this event… a wizard needing nothing of an introduction anywhere he travels, the famous dragon hunter, Mr. Beetle Mantooth." A tall, smiling man in green robes stepped into the picture holding his wand under his chin.

"Thank you, Pat. It's good to be here, and what a spectacular event we're about to see, eh?"

"Oh, I think we can guarantee the audience something special today, Beetle. To quote my good friend LudoBagman, who will be commentating this event for us, we'll be hip deep in fun very shortly. But despite the excitement we see all around us now, we have to report this event didn't have a very smooth start, did it?"

"No it didn't, Pat," said the tall man with a chuckle. "In fact, this event was almost cancelled before it was started, because of the controversy surrounding the selection of the champions from the three schools competing for us today – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Academy. Many of us have already heard the tale of the bizarre events leading to Hogwarts being allowed two champions, but that part of the story pales in comparison to the drama surrounding whom we'll be watching in the competition today. Our second Hogwarts' champion will be none other than _the-boy-who-lived_, Harry Potter." The crowd around Anna gave out an acknowledged _whoop_ of excitement. "But despite the fact the interest in this tournament has increased dramatically because of _the-boy-who-lived_, the fighting within these Ministries is still rather stormy regarding the host school competing with two champions, Pat."

"That might be true, Beetle, but despite the controversy, the task we'll be seeing today is going to be something I think folks will remember for years to come. Let's show our audience what they can expect to see." The projection on the hemisphere began to move into the enclosure again and then to a smaller fenced area sitting behind it.

"The first task is going to test the champion's courage and daring, as well as their prowess with a wand, and I can't think of a better way to do that… than with dragons." The crowd around Anna gasped as the picture zoomed in on four enormous dragons chained in separate corners of a square paddock behind the stadium.

"That's right, Pat," added the second announcer. "And these are some of the most ferocious breeds in all the Wizarding world. We understand the champions are just now finding out what their task is going to be, and which of these deadly beasts they'll be facing." The man shook his head and chuckled at the projector. "So… we shouldn't be too surprised if some of our competitors are seen leaving the champion's tent looking a little pale from shock."

Patrick O'Shea laughed. "I think we can all forgive them for that. Unfortunately, we still don't know what champion will be fighting which of these terrible beasts, but we will bring that information to you just as soon as it's made available to us. We do, however, know the order of the dragons, so why don't you lend us your expertise, Beetle, and tell our audience about them."

The other man nodded. "The first champion will be fighting a Swedish Short-Snout." The picture moved inside the compound containing the dragons. "I believe it's going to be… yes… it's the blue-gray variety." The crowd gasped at the huge, bluish dragon, which snorted a burst of fire at the projector, causing the entire hemisphere above the stadium to fill with yellow flames.

"These beasts are sometimes hunted for their skin, which has been used in the manufacture of protective gloves and shields. In fact, there's been a lot of discussion about placing these creatures into an intensive breeding program, much like the Romanian Longhorn, because their numbers have dropped off so drastically in recent years.

"Here's an example where the champion had better know something about this creature before moving against it. The beast is extremely fast, and one of only two breeds that can issue fire from both its nostrils and its mouth. It has one of the hottest flames of any breed, and those horns… absolutely deadly."

The picture moved on to the next dragon. "And now we see a Welsh Green, another native of England. This breed was once very common here in the high mountains, but has been pushed into total disillusionment by the Wizarding community due to Muggle encroachment into their natural habitat. Like most of these dragon breeds, the females are somewhat bigger and much nastier than their male counterparts, especially when they're nesting.

"Our third beast will be the Crimson Chinese Fireball, and I have to say — I don't envy the poor champion who draws this beast as their opponent. Of the four, this dragon is most protective of her nest, and she's a known man-eater, Pat. Anybody getting within a thousand yards would be dead on the spot if not for the chains holding this creature back. Coming in at a little more than four tons, this scarlet colored monster is almost as venomous as the Peruvian Vipertooth," Pat let out a long whistle in amazement, "and it's said its eggshells are highly prized in Chinese magic.

"And, finally, we have a Hungarian Horntail." There was a loud '_whooooa'_ heard emanating from the crowd around Anna as the projector turned to the last dragon.

"Beetle, I have to tell you, this black lizard is absolutely huge. It's terrifying enough for me even at this distance," said the portly man nervously.

"And for good reason, Pat. I really don't understand what the ministry officials were thinking to bring a beast like this into the tournament — absolutely vicious, this. In all my years hunting dragons, I have always tried to wrestle myself clear of this animal. At nearly fifty feet, it's almost as big as the Ukrainian Ironbelly, and look at that tail." The crowd gasped as they watched the Horntail snap at its wizard handler, yowling angrily and swishing its tail forward like a spear. The horns on its head matched the bronze colored mass of ugly spikes on its tail, which shook and twitched like a rattlesnake, ready to strike at the wizard trying to control it. "This beast will eat just about anything it can get into its mouth, including goats, sheep and, whenever possible, humans."

"I have to agree with you about this one, Beetle; she's a killer for sure. Tell the audience what our competitors have to do today."

"Well," said the tall man, shaking his head almost disbelievingly, "as if it wasn't enough just to be in the same enclosure with these creatures, believe it or not, our champions are expected to capture one of the dragon's eggs from its nest." The other man looked shocked.

"No… not for a million galleons, Beetle," said the commentator, his words rolling out fearfully. "These champions have to be made of the strongest stuff to accept this kind of challenge. What do we know about them?"

Four pictures of the school champions flashed high over their heads. One of the pictures then expanded to fill the sky.

"From France, this competitor is a seventh-year senior from Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft, Fleur Delacour. Miss Delacour is said to be studying English and hopes to work for Gringotts one day."

"When you see a beautiful young lady like this, Beetle, it makes you wonder if this tournament was taken all the necessary precautions for the champion's safety."

The brooding face of a dark-haired boy suddenly zoomed forward. "Viktor Krum of Bulgaria is another seventh-year student from Durmstrang Academy. You might remember Viktor, Pat. He was the Seeker on the Bulgarian National Quidditch team that played for this year's World Cup against Ireland just a few months ago. Although Bulgaria lost that match, Mr. Krum is still a national hero in his country, and all hopes lie with him during this tournament." Another picture zoomed forward to replace Krum.

"And here's one of our local champions, Cedric Diggory of England. Diggory is a seventh-year senior from Hogwarts and, we understand, one of this school's top students."

"A handsome lad, Beetle. Let's hope he comes through of this first task in one piece."

"And finally," the face of a younger boy with dark, messy hair and glasses zoomed forward above them, "we have the young man who so many people have been talking about since he was named Hogwarts' second champion, the boy who survived_ You-Know-Who_, Harry Potter." The stands around Anna exploded in applause. Anna sat mesmerized at the sight of the legendary boy who had defeated Voldemort as a baby.

"He's so young," Eric said, looking dumbfounded. "I can't believe they're letting that kid go up against these dragons." Anna nodded uneasily as the commentator continued.

"Yes, Beetle, Harry Potter might be the sentimental favorite in the Wizarding world, but the odds-makers don't give him much of a chance, given his age and inexperience."

"That's right, Pat. Not only is the Potter boy lacking three years of experience compared to the other champions, but we can now report that he's drawn the horntail for this first task. I'm afraid young Harry will find his challenge today just as difficult as his run in with _You-Know-Who_," the dragon hunter said, stupidly.

"Well… Beetle, the stage is set — and our champions are ready. Let me tell the audience about our judges for today's task." The picture shifted to the portly commentator again with a line of five pictures below him. "Our first judge will be Mister Bartemius Crouch." One of the pictures below zoomed forward to fill the screen. The man being projected wore an unsmiling, rather vacant expression, with clean-cut features and a thin mustache. "Mr. Crouch is England's head of International Magical Cooperation and, we understand, one of the men we have to thank for reviving this competition for us today."

A second face zoomed up to replace the first. "My good friend Mr. Ludo Bagman is head of England's Department of Magical Games and Sports." The man staring down into the stadium looked happy and jovial, and everybody laughed as his picture gave the crowd a rather mischievous little wink. "I've known Ludo for years, Beetle, and I've never seen him as excited as in the days leading up to this first task."

An older man with a twisted goatee replaced Bagman's picture above them. "The Headmaster of the prestigious wizarding school, Durmstrang Academy, this is Professor Igor Karkaroff. Karkaroff was also very instrumental in bringing this tournament to us. It's said he personally participated in the early negotiations on the rules."

Another face loomed forward. "Professor and Headmistress of Beauxbatons School of Wizardry, this is the famous Madame Maxime of France. I have to tell you, Beetle, I met the Headmistress last night for the first time, and she's a woman who makes her presence known whenever she enters a room." The other man laughed as a final picture came forward.

"And here, of course, is a wizard of renowned fame and our host for this competition today, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore." Everybody around Anna stood and started clapping respectfully. The man in the picture looked exactly like his photograph in the newspaper that Anna had seen a few months earlier. He was a much older man with long, silvery hair and matching beard. But his age did not hide the bright twinkle in his eye, looking out through his half-moon glasses. His nodding smile was warm and gracious.

"And so — there you have it, Beetle. Our judges are ready and so are the champions. The Swedish Short-Snout is being moved into position, so I think we're ready to start. Yes… there's the whistle. Our first contestant can be seen exiting the champion's tent and heading for the enclosure. Mr. Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts will be going first."

The projector followed the boy from Hogwarts as he made his way toward the enclosure, and several dragon handlers could be seen directing his way.

"I believe Mr. Diggory looks a bit shaken, Pat, and who could blame him? The Short-Snout is an awesome beast to face by yourself, even for the best trained and fully qualified wizards. Let's hope our first competitor is up to the job." The crowd in Spellsburg watched nervously as Cedric Diggory walked up to the enclosure entrance where he was stopped by some of the handlers.

"At this time," said Pat the commentator, "we're going to turn over the spell-by-spell action to Mr. Ludo Bagman. Take it away Ludo!"

The picture switched to another portly man, standing behind a raised set of seats draped in gold. He was wearing a set of yellow and black robes that looked like they were once part of a team uniform. The man leaned over to say something to the rest of the judges sitting to his left and then brought his wand up to his throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Our champions are ready and so are our judges. The task today, as you can see, is dragons. Each competitor must collect the golden egg from the nest below. Marks out of ten will be allotted based on their skill, wizarding knowledge and daring. So, without further delay, we'll ask Mr. Diggory to join us."

The gate opened and Cedric entered the enclosure. There was an explosion of loud applause given by the Hogwarts students encircling the planked fence as the seventh-year strode forward to face the Swedish Short-Snout. The boy looked extremely apprehensive, but he did not waver as he pulled out his wand and marched bravely forward. He finally stopped and, as if inspecting each and every scaly inch of the beast before him, his head slowly rose to finally face the creature. From his expression at the end, Anna could tell the dragon appeared far worse than what he had expected. He quickly looked down, trying to focus on the golden egg between the beast's giant, clawed feet. He could see it there, almost hidden from view by the other eggs surrounding it. His nervous gaze was broken by the Short-Snout's horned face as the dragon lowered its head to stare across the dirt at the boy. Boiling smoke and orange flecks of singe rose from its nostrils like a freshly stoked fire. The thing growled ominously at him, and Cedric jumped with a start when Ludo Bagman spoke again.

"The scoring will begin now, Mr. Diggory," said Bagman, who then sat down in his chair and picked up his judge's quill.

Anna was transfixed. As she watched the scene above them, a strange sensation began to sweep over her. She studied the dragon; its long, blue tail wrapped tight around the bottom of her feet to protect its precious eggs, and she could almost feel what it was thinking. Despite its reputation for being a man-eater as the man named Beetle had first described it, Anna could sense a much more complicated array of emotions coming from the creature. She squinted up at the beast in absorbed concentration. There was certainly anger, but that was something one should expect after being stunned, stuffed rudely into a crate for travel, and then awakened in a strange place surrounded by hundreds of people. It occurred to Anna that what the creature was feeling was quite understandable.

But now the beast felt threatened. It was beginning to realize what the wizard in front of her was intending to do, and it was now fearful for its brood. Under more familiar surroundings, she would have certainly killed the thing standing in front of her already, but the mother wasn't going to leave her nest for fear the other creatures surrounding her would move in. She was trapped. Her only option was to try and scare the nasty, little egg thief away.

The dragon growled and bellowed angrily at Cedric. Puffs of black smoke snorted from its nostrils like a great steam engine engaging the screws. The beast remained low and trembled as she screeched again, twisting its head around in a wide sweeping motion to score the ground with the horns upon her massive crown. She turned upright again to glare at the boy, and Anna could feel the creature's clear warning: _Come no closer. _Cedric began running to his right.

"He's off!" Bagman yelped excitedly.

Cedric was waving his wand animatedly at the dragon in a way that suggested he didn't have the beast's full attention. If Anna had been with him, she would have told him that he certainly did. As soon as Cedric started to run, the dragon immediately crouched low upon her eggs and Anna could sense the fear quickly building inside the beast.

Cedric shot a blast from his wand to the right of the dragon's head, obviously not meaning to hit it, but distract it while he turned to run the other way. The dragon quickly ducked to avoid the blast and then looked back to find the boy's direction changed. The creature's head trembled, reared slightly, and then shot a stream of brilliant-blue fire from its nostrils across the champion's intersecting path. The flame was so hot that many of the students sitting in the front row leaned back in shocked surprise. Cedric dodged the blast just in time.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow. He's taking risks, this one!" said Bagman over the now breathless crowd.

Cedric changed his direction and ran the opposite way again, all the time testing the beast's range and closing the gap between himself and the nest. The dragon took an anxious step forward, thought better of it, and then stepped back again, turning her massive body slightly to hide her clutch from view.

"_Avis!"_ Cedric shouted, pointing his wand at the dragon's head. A large number of birds zoomed out of his wand and up at the dragon's face. _"Avis!" _he bellowed again. Soon, dozens of birds were flying in a tight circle around the Short-Snout's head, buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. The dragon snapped viciously at the birds and swiped at them with its deadly horns. Parts of the flock began to fall like rain upon the ground where they immediately disappeared in puffs of white smoke. But while the beast was distracted, Diggory had already made his move toward the nest. The crowd gasped as he ran courageously forward, heading straight for the dragon's feet.

"No!" yelled Anna. "Not yet… not yet!" Eric looked at his sister and frowned. She seemed transported at what was happening above them. The dragon blew an enormous mushroom of fire over its head, and what was left of the birds was immediately consumed and turned into smoking ash. Fortunately, Cedric saw what was happening and skidded to an immediate stop. Stumbling slightly, he retreated just as the Short-Snout blasted the ground around him. Cedric barely escaped.

"Careful there! Clever move… pity it didn't work!" yelled Bagman.

And so it went. On and on, Cedric tried to divert the towering monster with an array of spells bent on distracting its full attention away from her nest. Finally, he pointed his wand at a rock lying within the enclosure and then shouted something that transfigured the stone into a dog.

"Brilliant!" said Eric, excitedly. "The dog is a great choice to divert some of the dragon's attention."

He was right. The dog started barking and darting anxiously around the dragon's feet, looking to coax and entice the beast a few steps forward. Being quicker and much more agile than Diggory, the dog was able to barter most of the dragon's attention, as she immediately perceived it as the greater threat to its nest.

Cedric bolted forward again as the crowd held its breath. Within seconds he was beneath the beast undetected. He snatched up the golden egg and then peered out from between the dragon's legs to find his dog prancing and yelping loudly in front. Assuming the dragon was still watching the dog, Cedric boldly dashed away from the nest in the direction opposite. Unfortunately, the dragon saw him.

Screeching madly at the thing trying to steal one of its precious eggs, the dragon stepped forward and blasted a stream of hell's fire at the fleeing boy. Cedric leaped to the left just as the blue flames blistered passed him. The crowd stood and screamed in horror as Cedric began rolling in the dirt, clutching his face. The dog immediately rushed in. Barking frantically up at the beast, it hoped to distract it one last time. The dragon raised her foot and with an angry roar she smashed the dog flat into the ground. It lifted its foot again only to find transfigured rubble beneath, but in its final distraction, Cedric Diggory had successfully escaped. He had captured the golden egg. The stunned crowd flew into a deafening roar of delight as the handlers ran in to subdue the angry mother.

"Well done, Mr. Diggory. Very good indeed!" shouted Bagman. "And now — the marks from the judges!"

There was a pause as the judges used quill and parchment to calculate their scores. The Hogwarts students were still cheering madly at the success of their fellow classmate, as another set of handlers began to move the green dragon into the enclosure. Each of the judges then used their wands to present Cedric Diggory's score. First came Madame Maxime, eight; then Bagman, an eight; Mister Crouch, another eight. Professor Dumbledore agreed with his fellow judges and also presented Cedric with a score of eight. Professor Karkaroff was next, a six. The Hogwarts crowd, who had been cheering enthusiastically for Cedric's marks up to the last, started to boo and hiss bitterly at the Bulgarian Headmaster's lower than expected score.

"So whaddya think?" Eric said, looking at his sister.

Anna didn't exactly know what to say. Although Cedric Diggory had been impressive, she couldn't seem to shake a more powerful sense of gloom. Rather than feeling excited about Cedric's win… she was saddened by the dragon's loss. She looked at her brother and shrugged.

"I guess it was good," she said, reluctantly.

"But…?" Eric replied, half surprised by her despondent expression.

Anna looked at her brother again and smiled. Once again, he had proven very few of her true feelings ever escaped him.

"It's just that… well… how do you feel about the way these animals are being treated?" Once more, Eric seemed surprised.

"I… don't understand what you mean."

"Well… I guess I'm not sure it's necessary to task the champions at the expense of these magical creatures. They're nesting mothers, scared and confused, and made angry by the circumstances in which they've been placed. Although I can see the benefits of having a tournament like this to bring the wizarding world closer together, I'm not sure I like what they're doing with these animals."

Eric thought for a moment, looking back up at the projection above them. He nodded. "I think I see your point," he replied guardedly. "I see the rest of us still have a lot to learn when it comes to being a Guardian," he said, sounding whimsical. Anna frowned as her brother turned to look up again.

"One down, three to go!" said Bagman. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

A girl in pale blue robes and long silvery hair entered the enclosure. She took three steps on the dirt-strewn field and stopped cold. Her wide eyes looked up in horrified wonder at the green, bellowing monster standing before her. The creature was rocking and stomping nervously over her nest of brown eggs flecked with green. The girl could see the golden egg lying atop the rest as she slowly pulled out her wand.

The race to the egg began, and Anna and Eric were rather shocked at the aggressive nature of the girl's attack. While Cedric had used magic as a distraction to get to his egg, Delacour was much more direct. She shot a stunning spell at the beast as she marched forward, looking as if she intended to plow straight through the beast with only the force of her will. Her hex hit the dragon in the neck, which sent the creature into a frenzy of howling snorts.

"Oh, no!" gasped Anna.

"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" shouted Ludo Bagman.

The dragon reared back to emit an almost surprising song-like roar, and then fell low to blast two thin jets of fire that seemed to accelerate as they merged together into one.

"My God, she's too close," Anna screamed, burying her face into her brother's shoulder.

Fleur saw the fire coming and immediately waved her wand in a wide circle in front of her body just as the flames enveloped her. The crowd screamed in panic, but the girl had managed to conjure a shielding charm that kept her from being turned to ash. The force of the blow sent her reeling ten feet backward onto the ground.

"Oh . . . nearly!" yelled Bagman. Careful now… good lord, I thought she'd had it then!"

For ten full minutes, Fleur ran around the arena shooting an array of spells at the dragon, intent on forcibly moving her off the nest, but all she seemed to be doing was enraging the creature more. Anna could feel the beast's temper rising to near blinding levels. She wanted to scream at the girl to stop what she was doing, that she was close to a rage beyond her ability to control. The beast was about to reach out with a fury rarely matched anywhere in the magical world and put an end to Delacour's short life.

The dragon shook its head in a wild, almost insane fury, and then bellowed a hideous roar toward the sky. The mother spread her enormous, bright-green wings and then leapt forward. It flapped once, hit the end of the chain wrapped around its neck, and then landed with an earthshaking boom on the ground just twenty feet from the girl. Some of the handlers began to run in as Fleur screamed, stumbled backward, and then fell to the ground. She screamed again as the creature's jaws swooped down at her. In desperation, she pointed her wand at the beast and shrieked out what she thought would surely be her last spell. A jet of blue light shot from her wand and hit the dragon directly in the eyes. The beast bellowed angrily as its head snapped back. It straightened, stumbled, and turned. It shook its great head and then stretched its neck to look longingly back at its nest again. The dragon wobbled forward, lurched back, and then staggered again, rubbing at its now tired eyes with one of its massive wings.

"Get the egg, Fleur. Get the egg!" yelled some of the students in the stands beyond the fence. There were shouts in French by her fellow classmates who were also now pointing at the open nest.

The girl quickly got to her feet and ran around the dragon toward the eggs. The giant seemed too sleepy to stand and just managed to save itself twice from toppling over. It looked like a punch-drunk, lumbering tower ready to fall. Raising its head high into the air, it let out a short roar, almost like a bark, turned, and then blew an enormous ball of fire down at the ground as if to clear its sinuses before a long nap.

Red and yellow flames exploded as they hit the ground and then spread in a wide circle around the dragon's scaled feet. The girl was almost at the nest when she saw the inferno coming at her. She shouted something in French and then dove headlong into the nest of eggs just as the flash reached her. The crowd screamed in horror as they watched Fleur frantically conjuring several water spells to douse the flames on her robes.

When the girl had finished putting out the fire, she peered fearfully over the edge of the nest to stare up at the dragon again. She found it shaking its head, trying to throw off the sleeping hex the girl had used to save her life. Knowing she only had a few seconds before the dragon rushed back to its nest, Fleur stooped down rather indifferently and picked up her prize.

"Excellent!" yelled Bagman. "She has the egg!"

The crowd rolled into relieved applause, as the handlers rushed in to subdue the dragon. They quickly moved the beast back to her nest where the mother coiled herself into a ball to sleep. They then carefully placed her with the other dragons behind the enclosure.

There was another long pause while the judges worked on the girl's marks. Madame Maxime was the first to lift her wand high. A long-bright and steely ribbon shot into the air, forming itself into the number nine. Bagman, Crouch and Dumbledore quickly followed with matching scores of eight. Professor Karkaroff, another six. Polite applause from the Hogwarts students followed Fleur Delacour as she exited the enclosure with her egg tucked under her arm and the whistle cut the morning air once again.

"And here comes Mr. Krum!" said Bagman, happily. Viktor Krum slouched in to face the scarlet, smooth-scaled, Chinese Fireball. The creature's protuberant eyes narrowed evilly as it surveyed the boy in blood-red robes. It snorted a warning at Krum, billowing two large, mushroomed shaped balls of fire from its nose that wrapped in spiraled rings around the golden spikes encircling the fringe of its head. Its snub-snouted face almost disappeared entirely as the beast opened its mouth wide to issue forth a horrible, shrieking wail. Spit dripped from its fangs and spattered the ground in fiery pools of yellow stench.

The boy from Bulgaria looked unimpressed. He marched forward and Anna felt the knots in her stomach clinch once again. The boy whipped his wand around over his head and with an animated, dance-like skip he cast a spell forward with the force of his entire body.

"_Aсоциирам 3апалване!" _he shouted, in his native tongue. The hex shot forward, but the dragon dodged it easily. It let out a quick burst of flame in reply, which slowed quickly before rising as a black ball of smoke well short of Krum.

"The Fireball doesn't seem to have the range of some of the other dragons," Eric surmised, optimistically.

Anna glared fearfully up at her brother. "Don't be fooled," she said, knowingly. Once again, Eric was surprised by Anna's seemingly experienced assumptions.

"Oh, very daring!" yelled Bagman, as the Bulgarian, showing incredible quickness, easily dodged another burst of fire from the beast. Although not exactly fast on his feet, the boy's reactions were incredible as he dove, rolled, and then popped to his feet again to cast another spell forward. He was concentrating on the nest between the creature's feet as he weaved around the dragon, looking for the golden egg among its crimson brothers. He was closing in, acknowledging the range of the beast as he circled.

Suddenly, Anna stood and yelled out, "Get back — get back, now!"

Krum saw it too. The beast stepped forward; this time narrowing its sights, it knew the boy had been tricked into coming into range. Krum turned to run just as the dragon let loose a tremendous ball of fire twice the size of anything before. The crowd screamed as Krum darted to the left to escape. He then turned and fired again.

"_Aсоциирам 3апалване!" _This time his aim was true. The hex hit the beast directly in the eyes and the dragon pitched back and bellowed in shocked agony.

"It looks like a Bulgarian version of a Conjunctivitis Curse," said Eric, who started to applaud with the rest of the stadium. "He's going for the egg!"

Sure enough, Krum was running to the left and then behind the beast toward the piled sticks and branches.

"That's some nerve he's showing — and — yes, he's got the egg!" yelled Bagman, over the cheering crowd. But they could all see Krum was still in great danger. The dragon was stomping in agony around the boy, stepping on some of the crimson-gold, speckled eggs in the nest as it howled in pain.

"No!" Anna and Eric yelled together as they leaped to their feet.

"The eggs –– get the eggs," Eric shouted pleadingly at the projection above them. The handlers ran in and immediately levitated the rest of the eggs out of the nest before the mother could destroy them all. Eric dropped heavily into his seat and then slumped over his knees in frustration. "Damn it…" he groaned, despondently. He looked over at Anna who was crying. "This… is so wrong. The entire nest could have been destroyed," he said somberly.

"The eggs…" Anna sobbed miserably. Eric wrapped his arm around his sister in an attempt to comfort her. "Lost…lost…" she moaned. She could see the broken pieces of shell in her mind, the half formed and grayish embryos strewn upon the ground. Everything smashed.

"I understand what you were trying to say, Anna. I really do. Our first public action as Guardians will be to submit a protest about this task to the responsible Ministries as soon as possible."

As the crowd around them callously cheered on, the judges began working on Krum's score. Soon, ribbons of silver were shooting into the air once again. Professor Karkaroff was first this time. Unsurprisingly to everyone, he gave his Bulgarian student a ten. Dumbledore and Bagman gave Viktor scores of eight, Crouch and Madame Maxime, apparently unhappy at the loss of the Chinese Fireball's eggs, issued forth scores of seven.

The whistle sounded again after the handlers had moved the Horntail into position, and a skinny boy with glasses stepped through the gap in the fence. Anna pulled in a calming breath, wiped her face, and looked up to stare at the boy. To her surprise, she thought he was very average looking; somebody who would blend into a crowd easily if you didn't know who he was, and what he had done for the Wizarding world in defeating the most terrible dark wizard in the last one hundred years. But Harry Potter was about to tackle a dragon more terrible than anything the stadium had seen that day, and Anna found herself desperately fearful for the boy's life.

The reaction from the crowd in Spellsburg when Harry stepped through the fence was a blast of enormous applause. The English commentators were right; Potter was definitely the sentimental favorite today. But to Anna's surprise, the reaction from the crowd in Hogwarts seemed rather muted in comparison. Unlike the Diggory boy, who had received tremendous applause from his fellow classmates, Potter only seemed to be gathering the praise from a very small section of the crowd.

"Are some of the students over there booing him?" asked Eric, staring up at the projection in disbelief. They definitely were. Anna could hear the jeers and catcalls coming from Hogwarts, but the crowd soon went quiet as Harry stepped in front of the Horntail who was crouched low over the nest, her yellow eyes narrowing under a scaly-furrowed brow.

Anna reached out with her mind to touch the creature and her tears were immediately replaced with terrified wonder. She could sense a rage unlike any other in this beast. In sharp contrast to the rest of the dragons, this one didn't seem to care about being encircled by the crowd outside the enclosure. From the very beginning, the creature's attention was fully focused on Harry Potter. It unfurled its huge, bat-like wings, blowing itself up to scare off the thing approaching her nest. It let out a tremendous scream, and Anna could see the crowd at Hogwarts covering their ears at the high-pitched and screeching blast. Its bronze-colored, spiked tail whipped about to thrash the ground like a moat around her.

Suddenly, a cold wave of fear came crashing down in Anna's mind and she immediately knew this beast was far different than its cousins. Its inner spirit was almost primeval and much more vicious. But the most terrifying thing about this one was knowing she would abandon her nest in a fight. The wall that defined her both as a predator and a protector was much thinner here and, if pushed to the wall, the rage that filled her heart would propel her through any maternal instincts, to kill at any cost.

Potter stood looking at the beast and, for a moment, Eric thought this would be as far as he would go in approaching the nest. This young fourth-year was too scared to move… and who could blame him? He was nothing more than a meal to this creature, a blundering fool approaching the dinner plate.

Potter raised his wand and yelled something that projected his genuine state of mind. He wasn't frozen in fear at all, but in a high state of concentration.

"_Accio Firebolt!"_ he shouted.

"What? What'd he say?" somebody behind Anna asked.

"A summoning charm of some kind," said another voice to her left.

Potter waited with his wand in his outstretched hand, as if not quite sure of what he was doing, or if what he was planning would even work. Moments passed by like hours as the noise from the crowd both at Hogwarts and Spellsburg grew into a steady rumble. Anna could see several people gathering around the odds-makers in yellow, looking to hedge their final bets. She frowned irritably, agreeing with Doctor Pearl: What these men did was disgusting.

Potter suddenly dropped his arm and looked around. A single broom was now flying into view from around the trees. It rose into the air, cleared the enclosure fence, and then streaked its way toward the boy, stopping exactly next to him. The crowd around Anna cheered loudly.

"Well I'll be; Potter's got a broom," Bagman yelled. "Now there's some steely cunning out of our young champion. Let's see what he can do."

Potter swung his leg over the broom and kicked off. He did a half turn and then, like a cannon delivering its calling to the open sky, he shot straight up. Instantly, the projection above Vollucross stadium split itself in two; one side of the hemisphere followed Potter streaking high above the crowd, and the other showed the dragon stretching its long-scaly neck to follow him.

"I don't know about this," Eric said, appraisingly. "His tactics are sound; he can move about the dragon in three planes instead of just two… but I don't understand how he expects to get to the nest while riding on a broom.

Anna agreed. _What was Potter doing?_

Harry did a couple of circles high above the dragon and then quickly dove. In an instant he was level with the beast again and the dragon's yellow eyes honed in, marking him for death. Its massive head fell back and then jerked forward. It roared fire in one long and continuous streak of orange into Potter's oncoming path. But the boy seemed to know what the dragon was about to do, which made his effort to avoid the blast look easy. The stream of fire missed him entirely and trailed off in a river of blackened smoke.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"

Potter was circling just out of range of the dragon whose neck was twisting itself like a coiled rope as it followed his every move. Then the Horntail dipped and, in less than a second, spun its head three complete revolutions to unravel itself before glaring up at Harry again. In that brief moment, Eric thought there might have been an opening to make a move at the nest.

_But that wouldn't be enough time, _Eric thought worriedly_. Besides, how could the boy hope to get to the eggs on a broom?_

Potter turned and dove again, but this time the Horntail's reaction to the boy was shifting away from simply scaring him off. It wanted him; it wanted to hunt him.

For most in the crowd, Anna saw them as almost blind to the possibility that something terrible was about to happen, but she understood why. Even Anna could feel the draw of complicated emotions herself; the internal struggle between that of hoping to see something electrifying out of this deadly struggle, and the more prudent hope that the boy wouldn't get himself killed. There was a palatable, almost delicious tension, as the beast reared back once more intent on turning the boy into ash. The crowd cringed as the head of the creature trembled to draw in a lungful of air; its eyes narrowing like a snake looking to strike.

But then Anna's sensed something else. Maybe it was the way the beast moved, or the sudden shift of its weight to one side. At once, Anna's attention slid away from its now thrusting head and redirected itself to….

"The tail…" she mumbled under her breath.

The dragon let loose another blast of fire and then dropped its shoulders into the direction of Potter's flight.

"The tail!" Anna yelled.

The spiked-end of the Horntail suddenly whipped forward. The boy swerved left only in the nick of time just as one of the bronze spikes grazed his shoulder. There were a number of intermingled screams as the crowd in both stadiums groaned as one.

"Oh… now… that was too close! Careful there…" warned Bagman, who was now standing and nervously swaying in time with Potter's every move.

Anna closed her eyes and reached out, the fingers of her mind probing the dragon's thoughts. "Potter's been injured. Not badly… but the dragon knows he's hurt," Anna said knowingly. She looked at Eric again who was frowning down at her. "There's blood in the air… the dragon can smell it."

"Anna, how can you possibly know…?" Eric started to ask, but he was cut off my Bagman's voice once again.

"Keep your wits about you, careful!"

Harry was now circling around the giant's head, just out of range of its fire, but still… close enough to be a threat. The creature's yellow eyes narrowed as she reached up to snap at him with her outstretched jaws. Anna could see her slowly rising higher off the nest as she straightened her knees. She snapped again, more out of frustration than knowing she could get to the thing flying above her. Her head swayed left and right, stretching her long neck still higher.

Anna could feel the frustration burning within the beast. She meant to have him, this nasty little thing taunting her. The dragon stretched her neck as far as it could go. He was there… right there; if she lunged she could take him. Her knees slowly bent to make the jump, but then, he suddenly was too high, too far again out of her reach. The creature rose and roared in provoked frustration, blasting fire again at her tormentor.

Anna could sense the creature was at her limit of motherly protection. No longer a sentinel of her brood, she was now exactly what she was born to be, a hunter and a killer. Her jaws opened wide to emit a horrible, deafening screech. She had been pushed to her limit; she had reached the wall of her given restraint.

The dragon suddenly spread its arms wide like some horrific demon. She was as broad as she was tall with her black, leathery wings unfurled to full. She leaped into the air, throwing her wings downward to sustain her great weight, and that's when it happened. In the blink of an eye, Potter dived, falling faster than a rock hurled at the ground.

Eric grabbed Anna this time, "He wouldn't… he can't… he's going for it!" he yelled in amazement.

The crowd screamed as Potter suddenly turned just when they thought he was going to crash and then streaked in the direction of the creature's nest just inches above the ground. After watching him dance and weave for so long just out of reach of the beast's jaws, all were amazed at this sudden burst of speed and pinpoint accuracy toward his target. He was suddenly under the beast. He slowed, grabbed the golden egg, and before the mother could realize where her tormentor had gone, he was off — zooming up behind the dragon high into the air again and the crowd exploded into jubilant applause. And this time Anna joined them in astonished wonder. Potter was amazing, incredible, and she couldn't help noticing nearly everybody at Hogwarts was now clapping and yelling for Harry just as they had done earlier for the boy they called Diggory.

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that? Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Harry finally landed and was instantly surrounded by a number of happy teachers, including a heavy-bearded man who was every bit as large as the giant, crimson-cloaked guard that had chased Anna through the halls of Castlewood. The dragon keepers rushed forward to calm the Horntail and settle her down over her eggs again. The beast pushed her clutch around with the horn of her nose as if counting her loses, while Bagman's voice boomed over the crowd once again.

"And how about a hand for all of our champions. Oh, absolutely brilliant! Really… well done!" The crowds cheered boisterously in agreement. "We'll send Potter in to see the healers while the judges work on his marks."

Ten minutes later, Harry Potter reentered the enclosure, which was now empty of dragons and full of happy students. A redheaded boy standing next to Potter was directing his view toward the judges. Madame Maxime raised her wand in the air and the number eight appeared over her head. The redheaded boy nodded happily and smacked Harry on his undamaged shoulder. Crouch and Dumbledore's score – nine; the crowds in the stands around Anna cheered. Bagman's score – a ten; the odds-makers in Spellsburg could be seen waving off Bagman's mark in frustration; obviously they thought it too high. Finally Karkaroff raised his wand and when the number four shot into the air, the crowd in both stadiums booed angrily.

Anna looked at the men in yellow and could see their angry expressions. It was the worst possible result for them. The sentimental favorite had beaten all the odds and won. And the many who were now surrounding the men with their little slips of parchment would celebrate a toast Harry Potter tonight with the odds-makers' profits.

"I don't believe it!" Eric said, excitedly. The Potter kid did it. He actually tied for first place… really, very impressive."

For the first time during the tournament, Anna smiled. "He was a very good flier, wasn't he?" Eric was nodding his agreement.

But Anna was far more impressed with Potter's ability to do well without having to hex the dragon or damage its nest, and she knew that if she ever had an opportunity to meet this boy face to face, she would tell him how much she appreciated that.

The commentators broke in again. "Well, there you have it, Beetle. Our first task is complete. What did you think?" asked O'Shea, still speaking into his wand.

The other man was smiling and shaking his head satisfactorily. "I have to tell you, Pat, I thought the contestants did surprisingly well. Very well, indeed. They were aggressive when they needed to be, and smart enough to keep from getting seriously injured. The three schools represented here have to be proud of their champions."

"I agree. And what did you think of Potter using a broom instead of his wand to get to his egg?"

"I thought it was brilliant. It allowed him to get to his egg in the shortest amount of time even though he was unfortunate enough to draw the Horntail."

"So –– let's review the marks for our audience," said Pat. The four pictures of the champions were shown with their scores. "Tied for first place are the Bulgarian, Viktor Krum, and Harry Potter of Hogwarts — with forty points each. In second place is Miss Delacour of France with thirty-nine, and Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts is in third, just one point behind, with thirty-eight. What do you think of the marks, Beetle?"

"I thought they were reasonably fair, Pat. Perhaps Krum's score was a little high, given the damage he caused to his dragon's nest, and I think the Bulgarian judge was a little harsh on some of the other champions. But, overall, I think the final positions coming out of the first task were correct."

Pat nodded in agreement. "We've now been told that the second task will be held on February twenty-fourth, and we hope to tell our audiences what the champions will be doing just as soon as those details are made available to us. So… on behalf of my colleague, Beetle Mantooth, this is Patrick O'Shea, signing off from Hogwarts. We'll see you again in February for the second task. Good evening, everybody."

And with these final words the Vollucross Hemisphere began to fade, and the appreciative spectators in Spellsburg continued their thunderous applause well after it had gone completely black.

127


	31. Trog

Chapter 31d22 – Trog

Chapter 31

Trog

A bright, blue sky faded up over the stadium again, revealing the cold morning still lingering on the plateau. Doctor Pearl stood and turned to face her riders as the applause for the Triwizard Tournament rumbled on.

"All right then, now that our friends from Hogwarts have warmed up the audience for us, let's give them something they'll really remember, ay?" Those holding their bridles and blankets laughed. "Let's go!" She motioned a signal to Professor Bots in the top box and began to waddle down the stone steps over the stables.

"Now don't go too far ladies and gentlemen," announced Bots over the stadium crowd. "Doctor Pearl and our Vollucross riders will be joining us shortly for our first race. I've been informed that we're going to see an all-team event this morning with close to a dozen fliers racing at once." There was more thrilled applause from the crowds as everybody settled themselves into their seats again with renewed anticipation. Once more, the men in yellow were eagerly gathering betting slips, hoping to make up for their Triwizard losses.

Fifteen minutes later, the crowd was standing and clapping again as the riders walked their mounts around the inside track of the stadium. They finally lined up in the center of the field to make the final adjustments to their equipment.

"Easy, boy," Anna said to Swooper, who seemed very apprehensive. He snorted and bellowed angrily, jerking high into the air to kick out. "What's the matter, big guy? Are we both a little nervous this morning?" But the horse's eyes told her he was more anxious about something to his right than anything that might come out of the contest. Anna ducked under his neck and noticed the Wendell boy cinching his saddle flap tight; she was surprised. The horse whose saddle he was tightening was none other than the yellow palomino that Swooper had fought during their first flight together. The palomino looked over at Swooper and bellowed, his red eyes narrowing threateningly. Anna saw the horse's left wing give a slight twitch and she ducked just in time. The wing shot over her head and slammed into Swooper's side. Anna's horse stumbled to the left and barely recovered his balance in a spider-like sprawl.

"Keep that glue-factory reject away from my steed!" Wendell barked malevolently.

"Control your flier, then!" Anna snapped back. "Everybody knows these two have a bad history."

Swooper leapt forward at the palomino, snorting furiously. The two stallions hauled up on their haunches and began to kick outward like two angry prizefighters. They each wrapped their necks around the other to wallop and bite.

"Separate those animals, immediately!" yelled Pearl. "Pull them apart before they kill each other!"

Swooper was grunting and bellowing in rage, finally twisting and then slamming the palomino to the ground under his feet. Wendell pulled out his wand and pointed it at Swooper. Panicking, Anna grabbed his arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" she screamed.

"Get off!" the Defender yelled, tossing Anna sideways to the dirt. He turned to look at the horses again and found Swooper's face just inches from his own. The horse bared his teeth at the boy and then snapped his jaws forward with a hollow _clunk_ on the end of Wendell's nose.

"OUCH!" the boy yelped, stumbling back and then falling over Anna to the ground. "Why –– that blasted beast –– he bit me!" he screamed, holding the end of his nose. Anna couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"Serves you right for threatening to hex him!" she sneered, standing to dust the grass from her robes.

The boy quickly scrambled back to his feet, swearing bitterly. "I'm gonna cut your wings off, blackie!" he threatened warningly with his outstretched wand.

"Wendell! Collect your mount — now!"

The boy looked around to find his palomino running and kicking wildly halfway across the stadium field. He looked back at Doctor Pearl.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said, trying to hide his embarrassment. He then turned to glare back at Anna. "We'll finish this out there," he growled, pointing his wand toward the gap in the stadium. He turned to chase his mount to the sound of the arena crowd laughing and whistling in his ears. Anna smiled.

"Everything all right?"

She turned to find Eric looking down at her from his saddle. "Yeah, everything's… fine," she replied, still smiling.

Eric looked over at the boy chasing his horse. He frowned and then looked down. "Remember what I said about Wendell, Anna. Keep your distance."

"Yes, sir!" Anna replied animatedly, giving him a snappish salute. Eric raised a single eyebrow as Mr. Kingston offered her a leg up. "Thank you, Jeremiah," she said, settling herself into the saddle.

"Have a good ride, Anna," Kingston said, looking amusingly at Wendell still chasing after his mount. He leaned over to check Swooper's buckles and knots. "Stay to Wendell's left," he whispered with a little wink. Anna smiled and then nodded.

"Low and fast, Anna, all right?" Eric reminded her in a strict business-like tone. "Get to the gap as fast as you can and I'll be right behind you." Anna nodded again and watched her brother gig his horse around to the other side of the line.

Seated high in her saddle, Anna could see all the other riders and their mounts around her. There was Lannete Cobstone, wearing her green laborers' robes and seated on the flyer with white socks she called Peppercorn. Anna groaned. _She'll be among the leaders for sure,_ she thought worriedly.

Doctor Pearl blew her whistle. "Riders — ready!" The crowd in the stands immediately stood and began to cheer excitedly. "Remember your honor out there!" the Doctor hollered at them, raising her hands high. The horses jerked at their bridles and snorted impatiently. Their wings began to flap, lifting their feet off the ground and then back down. Pearl rose into the air on her broom where she slowly turned and headed for the gap, the morning sun splashing lanes of ocher light in front of her. She blew her whistle again and the winged horses suddenly kicked off.

Swooper rose quickly and within seconds was flying just a few inches behind the twigs of Pearl's broom. Anna looked to her left and saw Cobstone flying just off her wingtip; Eric was a little low on her right, motioning her to drop down. Anna nodded and then pushed the reins forward. Soon she was just high enough to keep Swooper's feet off the ground.

Before reaching the gap in the stadium, Pearl made a sharp left turn as the crowd continued to wave and cheer, and the riders turned to follow her back toward the enclosed end of the field once more. They continued to circle the arena, slowly increasing their speed with every lap. Pearl called this part of the race _Vollucartus, _or race positioning. Its purpose was really two fold, one traditional and the other much more practical. The traditional part allowed the spectators a final look at the riders and their mounts before heading into the field. Eric jokingly liked to call this part of the race the _frenzy follies,_ because what Pearl was really doing was whipping the crowd into an appropriate level of excitement before sending the riders off. But it was the practical part of this circling exercise that Anna and Eric cared about right now. This was the time the riders began to implement their team's strategy for what they hoped would ultimately end in victory.

Since nobody knew exactly when Pearl would start the race, the riders fell in a line behind her three abreast until they turned toward the gap again. Then the riders would start jockeying for position while they listened for Pearl's whistle, which would initiate an all out sprint into the Shadowed Forest. When the whistle didn't come, they fell in line again through their turns. With every passing second, both their speed and the tension around them grew.

The pace was increasing now, and the pressure not to be caught off guard was extremely high. Everybody knew Pearl was well known for purposely sending the riders out at the greatest possible speed toward the stadium gap. Anna was below everybody, concentrating hard on her angles and keeping a close eye on her brother at all times. The teams turned toward the gap once again, and the crowd could sense the start of the race was close at hand. They were cheering and jumping up and down as the horses rocketed passed them like cattle caught in a hurricane.

And all at once, the speed of the group increased dramatically. _This is it, _Anna thought, _we're going to hear the whistle this time, surely._ The horses were covering the distance to the gap in half the time they did going the other way. Now the riders were bumping into one another, getting as close as they could to Pearl without passing her. Anna started to rise with the thought of joining the group, but she could see Eric waving her back down. He was on the far right of the group, and then quickly veered under to the left. Something was telling him Pearl was going to make them turn again.

Sure enough, Pearl pulled around to the left and increased her speed yet again as she headed back into the stadium grounds; still no whistle. The shriek of the excited crowd was buzzing in Anna's brain as she turned to follow. Eric's knowledge of the game had paid off. He was galloping through the air directly beneath Pearl as she leveled; they were in perfect position. In a flash, Pearl dipped once more, turned right, and shot toward the open gap again. Anna finished the turn and felt Swooper begin to pour it on. Her mount's experience was telling him this was going to be it; they would surely hear the whistle this time. The crowd had been teased into a state of frenzy as Pearl shot forward with another incredible burst of speed, leaving most of the other horses behind. Eric was frantically waving Anna forward as he crouched low over the neck of his mount.

"Now, Swooper," Anna yelled. "Eric says it's going to happen now!" She nudged the horse in the flanks and felt his entire body tighten as he surged forward. She looked up and could see Pearl falling at an intersecting path in front of her, the other horses diving to keep the pace. Anna and Swooper were in perfect position as they headed for the gap. The shortest distance to the first alley started exactly from where they were. _Come on Pearl, blow the whistle, blow it now!_

And then, it came. The scream of the whistle blared through the morning air like a newborn baby receiving the slap. Pearl was still in the middle of her dive with the remainder of the pack clustered tight behind her. She peeled away just in front of Anna and yelped in shock when Swooper shot over her in a blast of wind that nearly blew her off her broom.

WHOOSH! They were off.

Anna immediately began pulling away from the pack as they headed for the gap. Eric's plan had worked to perfection. Anna was moving at full speed while the rest of the group was pulling up to change their direction just above the ground. The crowd was going wild, screaming with delight, and the last thing Anna heard as she shot through the gap was Professor Bots' voice blaring out over the throng.

"And the young Guardian quickly takes the lead!"

Anna looked under her shoulder at the pack behind. They looked like a cloud of angry hornets chasing after her. She could see the stadium behind them growing dark and then brighten again as the hemisphere faded up over the crowd's head. Anna turned to search for the first alley. The race was on.

Anna entered the first entranceway with a huge smile cutting her face. _I love it when a plan comes together, _shethought eagerly. _Eric, my dear brother, you… are a genius._

She made her first turn in the alley, looked up, and then screamed. Looming in front of her was a wall of trees directly in their path. Swooper banked away immediately, rolling hard right to avoid smashing into the branches, but whoever was following wasn't so lucky. Anna heard somebody scream, and then the unmistakable sound of something crashing into the woods behind her.

Her first instinct was to go back and offer whatever help she could, but the magic that was Vollucross would not allow it. Once a rider started this race, they were obligated to finish it. Even if her brother were to fall, Anna would be forced to go on without him. She was told the Crimson Guard was spread out above the woods in case a rescue became necessary, but this gave Anna very little comfort. If something did happen to her she was fairly certain, if left to Captain Dunning, she might never be found.

Left, left, right, left again… the thumping, pounding sound out of the trees was the only thing familiar here. The alleys and pathways had been changed since her last practice. In this sport, it was tradition that the riders never see the same route twice, and Anna could only imagine the magic necessary to uproot and move large segments of the forest to adhere to these old rituals.

Swooper was extremely strong this morning and his reactions were sharper than ever. He carried with him a determination Anna could feel running down the hard muscles of his back. It felt like her legs were straddling steal. They entered a series of hairpin turns meant to slow the fastest riders and, with a hollow WHOOMPH, Swooper dove straight down into a dark cavern. He twisted and rolled through a series of tunnels with Anna clutching tight to his mane and back. The roots of the trees above had been magically moved aside to allow for their passage through a burrow that looked like it had been created by some monstrous creature. Thankfully their time underground was short and Swooper was soon able to track down the exit. He folded one of his wings under his belly and used the other to rudder them out of the hole. He shot up, spinning and twisting in a manner that allowed him to locate the next gap most effectively before rotating his wings flat again. He leveled and then pelted through the next opening in the trees.

Anna was pleased by the way they had managed the underground obstacle. So well, in fact, that she didn't expect to see anybody immediately behind her, but when she looked back her heart sank. Lannete Cobstone was right on their tail. Anna could see her green robes billowing up behind the girl and Lannete's determined face peaking around her horse's dipping head at them. They flew into a tight left bank, and then went right; Cobstone was closing in. Anna's turns through the maze were amazingly crisp and purposeful, and yet every time she thought Swooper had performed flawlessly, she would find Lannete still closing the gap behind them. Finally, they shot into an opening in the trees and Anna could see the first pole glistening bright in the morning sun in front of them.

Anna looked back again and then moved to place herself between the pole and those following her. Another coaching tip from Eric: If a rider intended to pass, force them to visit the entire world around you before they succeeded.

Unfortunately for Anna, even great tactics couldn't make up for years of hard earned experience. She leaned into the open air above the checkered pole, but as she reached out for one of the green rings, she saw it beginning to move away from her, sliding up and high on the pole. Panicking, she almost fell out of her saddle desperately lunging at the ring now floating well out of her reach. Anna looked up and gaped in awe at Cobstone flying above her. She was holding the reins in her clinched teeth while reaching for a moving ring with one hand and pointing her wand with the other. She was drawing Anna's ring away and passing her at the same time.

_CLANG! _Lannete snatched the ring, completed the turn, and in a blink of an eye she was pulling away.

Anna was stunned. She knew Cobstone was good — _but_ _that was unbelievable_. She could almost hear the cheering crowd from the stadium echoing across the forest floor around her. Totally shocked by her pursuer's maneuver, Anna found herself sliding far too wide around the pole with nothing but frustration to show for all her trouble. By the time she recovered, two more riders had passed her, the Defender Michael Wendell, followed closely by her brother Eric.

_CLANG… CLANG–CLANG! _

Anna glided in next to her brother as they headed back toward the forest. "Eric, I missed!" she screamed, angry with herself. "I missed the ring!" Eric held up two green rings that he had taken from the pole.

"Here — take one, and don't miss another," he yelled back, pushing one of the rings across the gap between them. "Be on your guard next time!" Anna nodded apprehensively, took the ring, and then reached back to snap it into her saddle. Eric pointed two fingers to the front. "You chase… and I'll block, understand?" Anna nodded again, and then nudged Swooper in the ribs. She sped ahead as her brother yelled his last warning, "Watch out for Wendell — mind your space."

"Go Swooper, go!" Anna yelled, snapping the reins against the horse's right hip. _That was very good Lannete, but you won't do that to me again._

By the time they reached the tree-lined alleyway once more, Swooper was right behind Wendell and snapping at the palomino's tail. His wings were stretching forward and pulling back hard with all his strength. Anna watched the palomino's gallop, concentrating on his hoof beats through the air ahead of her. Left hind leg, right hind leg, left fore leg, right fore leg, left hind leg again. _A right-lead gallop_, she surmised quickly. Her best chance to pass would come during the stretch between the right hind leg's push and his left fore extension. But passing in this alleyway, in the middle of all these turns, would be extremely difficult. Anna stayed close, watching for Wendell to make a mistake. She found Eric was doing his part in delaying the other riders behind them. Looking back, the pack was nowhere in sight.

WHOOSH, they pulled into another hairpin turn. Anna leaned in and felt her body smashing against Swooper's back. She bore down with her stomach muscles and tightened her legs as hard as she could just as Eric had taught her. This would hold the blood in her brain and help to stave off any blackouts. They straightened again and came out of the turn with Swooper's nose just inside the palomino's right hip. First beat – left hind leg, second beat – right hind leg, third beat - left fore leg, fourth beat – right fore leg, first beat, second beat, third beat, fourth beat; Anna counted the palomino's cadence.

They turned again, left this time, and Anna could see Wendell looking back at her. He gave the reins a sharp snap, tipping the palomino wide through the turn. Swooper was shoved abruptly to the right and Anna watched in horror as his wingtip began clipping and then smashing into the branches on the other side. She screamed and pulled up hard on the reins. Swooper slid back to his left, barely recovering from the near disaster, the feathers on his wingtips torn and broken.

"Swooper! Are you all right?" Swooper grunted, jerking his reins forward angrily with a snap. "Why that dirty son of a…" she yelled, looking ahead, "he could have killed us both!" Anna looked behind them again, wondering if her brother had seen what Wendell had done. Although she knew Eric was probably using the same blocking techniques on the rest of the field behind them, she somehow doubted he was doing it at the risk of pushing somebody into a life-threatening situation.

They had worked on their strategy thoroughly. Eric's intent was to break the field into two separate races. Anna would stay in the front with the leaders and Eric would remain behind, blocking the others from passing, and using his skill as a wizard to keep them from getting their rings. As long as two horses from the same Union didn't get ahead of him, his plan would succeed and a Guardian win would be assured. Anna knew she didn't have to do anything now but remain close to the front riders; it wasn't necessary to pass them to win.

But Anna wanted to do more, to deliver her best, and that didn't seem to align itself with holding back. She wanted to attract more students to the Guardian Union and that, according to her brother, is what really mattered more than anything else. Her choices were simple: Play it safe and stay back, hoping Eric did his job, or press on as hard as she could and prove the Guardians were a serious force in all matters of interest to them. She knew if she left it to her mount, Swooper would already be looking to murder the palomino ahead of them. His brush with ruin in the trees had made him extremely angry, and Anna didn't want to give Wendell the satisfaction of knowing he had scared them off. Again, Anna made her decision knowing her logic was once more siding with her heart, which wasn't necessarily a good thing, but she loosened her grip on the reins anyway and leaned down.

"Let's get him, Swooper!" she said next his ear. "Heeyah!"

The horse leaped forward. His wings were circling in a kind of eager dance, closing the space between the two riders almost immediately. Right turn, left turn… Anna and Swooper were nearly on top of Wendell again. She watched the palomino's stride; first beat, second beat, _there was the opening again_, third beat, and then the right fore leg. She repeated the cadence over and over, putting the timing to memory. One, two, "get ready, Swooper", three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, _wait for it_, three, four.

WHOOSH – WHOOSH, the two horses completed a hard left turn; one, two, _there it is_, three, four. She saw a straight line of trees ahead of them. "Easy now…" she whispered, lifting her weight off of the saddle slightly. "We'll use Jeremiah's advice and take him on the left." First beat; second beat; "NOW!" she yelled. Swooper cut inside the palomino and immediately went invisible again. Anna gasped, but instantly understood their jump to pass under this cloak of nothingness brought with it a higher degree of surprise; she only wished she had thought of it herself. She could see the end of the lane coming up fast, but Anna was nearly level with Wendell before he noticed her.

"What the…?" he gasped, at seeing Anna floating in mid-air right next to him without a mount to hold her up. The turn was upon them and, just as Anna had suspected, Wendell began to push them wide once more. Swooper was suddenly visible again, and his jaws reached over to chomp down on the palomino's left ear. The other horse screamed in surprise, jerking his head up in shock at seeing Swooper unexpectedly right next to him.

"Stop that!" Wendell screamed, smacking Swooper on the back of the head with his whip. Anna dropped down and cut beneath the other horse into the next bend. Swooper whipped through the turn and then shot up ahead of the palomino.

Anna smiled as she quickly glanced back, but what she saw made her stomach twist. The palomino was absolutely insane with fury. His eyes were a glowing demon-red, and Anna could have sworn she could see puffs of black smoke blasting from its nostrils. It looked more like Viktor Krum's Chinese Fireball than it did a horse. Although they had managed the pass unharmed, they were certainly not out of danger. As angry as the palomino looked, Michael Wendell looked even angrier. He had put away his riding crop and was now smacking the side of the palomino with the wood of his wand. Anna looked ahead, hoping to see Cobstone in front of her, but the girl was nowhere in sight. They banked into a steep drop and Anna began looking desperately for the lake.

Then, from out of the side of the alleyway, the trunk of a large oak lunged forward into their path. Anna ducked as Swooper dove under the tree. Without thinking, Anna almost screamed a warning back to Wendell, but when she looked around she could see the branch moving out of his way as he approached. Swooper gave a loud snort of panic and Anna looked forward again. Two more branches from either side of the gap had moved to block her way. _What the heck is going on? Was this part of the forest alive?_ Swooper dove again under the first branch and then quickly over the second. Then a third branch, one the size of a battering ramp with a balled fist of branch and twisted vine, swung out at them from the right. Swooper dove down and under the wrist of the thing swinging out to kill them. They flew into a hard left turn, then right around the next corner.

They headed into a straight section of the course again and Anna had a thought. "Watch the front!" she yelled down at Swooper, and then turned to watch Wendell behind them. Sure enough, she saw the boy pointing his wand forward and looked to be speaking the words of a spell. Swooper bellowed in fright again and Anna turned around to see another large branch flying out from the left of the alleyway, this time taking the form of a huge hand looking to swat them from the sky. The forest wasn't alive; it was Wendell, using an exceptionally nasty piece of sorcery to slow them down. Panicking, Anna pushed down Swooper's head with all her might and headed for the ground.

SWISH! The branch missed them, but Anna could feel its end twigs raking down her back and snagging her robes.

In the seconds that followed, Anna was trapped somewhere between complete terror and an all-consuming rage. It was like being caught on some psycho, out-of-control carnival ride as she dodged and weaved about the branches reaching out for her. She knew she was in trouble, and there were hundreds of people watching back at the stadium who also knew she was in trouble, but they couldn't do anything to help her now. She didn't know if what Wendell was doing would be interrupted as hexing another rider or not, but in her mind it didn't matter. Regardless whether or not he was breaking the rules, the results were going to be just as deadly if they weren't careful.

Swooper pulled up just a few feet from the ground before leveling; his eyes darted in a wide path around them, looking for any signs of movement amongst the tangle of roots and vines on the forest floor. A shadow suddenly fell over their head and Anna could see Wendell moving to pass over the top. Her response was immediate and helped to define an inner core she would only willingly acknowledge thirty years from now: Fear begets rage.

"Oh –– no you don't!" she yelled angrily, pushing the reins forward. "Go Swooper — don't let him pass!" Swooper flapped hard, accelerating forward before moving up again. They blazed into the next series of turns directly below Wendell and the palomino. Right turn, left, right, left again. Anna looked up and could see the flash of the palomino's galloping shoes just inches from her head.

The trees finally opened like a curtain before them and the two riders shot over the open lake. Anna nudged Swooper in the sides, but her horse didn't need any help understanding now was the time to pour it on. His power and speed were all they needed to keep Wendell out of their way.

Anna could see the checkered pole had been moved to the far left this time. She leaned toward it, aware that Wendell was watching her every move above them. Another rider was coming into view directly in front of them going in the opposite direction. It was Lannete Cobstone. She had retrieved the second ring and was already heading back to the gap.

Wendell was rising to meet her and Anna's brain screamed in horror. _What was he doing?_ As the boy purposely flew into Lannete's oncoming path, the girl shot something green from the end of her wand to warn him off, and he returned with his own spell that looked like it was directed at her head. Lannete quickly ducked and the hex just missed as it streaked passed her shoulder. She jerked up again, her face lit with anger.

"Damn it, Wendell, you can't hex the other riders!" she screamed, as they crossed paths.

"_Accio Ring!" _ Wendell yelled, and Anna watched one of the rings attached to Lannete's saddle fly off and toward the boy. But just as he reached out to grab it, the ring suddenly yanked to a stop in mid air. Anna could now see the ring was attached to a small chain connected to the side of Lannete's saddle. The girl smiled as she tucked her wand back into her robes.

"Not this time, Michael!" Lannete laughed as she zipped by Anna going the other way, the ring flying wildly on its chain behind her. Anna turned to watch the girl retrieving her ring, but she was more interested in where Cobstone was heading. She could see the entrance to the next gap was right next to the exit from which they had just come. It gave Anna an idea. She turned her attention back to the pole in front of her and pushed the reins forward again. Wendell was still above her, his palomino pressing hard toward the center of the lake.

Swooper began to pull away. Once again, the Thorse's tremendous power was showing itself well in the open sky. After fifteen seconds of hard flying, they were well ahead of Wendell as they approached the pole, its flag whipping in the wind near the surface of the water. Anna made sure she positioned herself properly between Wendell and the pole to keep him from moving the rings during her approach.

"As close as you can, Swooper. Put us right alongside it," she said, looking back one last time to check Wendell's position. She reached out this time with both hands. CLANG! CLANG! Anna grabbed two rings and immediately leaned into the turn holding herself tight with her legs. Straightening, they headed toward Wendell coming at them the other way. She could see him pointing his wand at her.

"_Mobiliaqueous!"_ Anna yelled, pointing her wand at the lake just a few feet below him. A column of water suddenly shot up from the surface of the lake, and she could hear Wendell cursing as he crashed into it and out the other side. Anna zipped by him with a triumphant smile, pointing her horse again toward the entrance in the trees.

Swooper was flapping as hard as he could, bearing down on the next gap, but Anna was concentrating on the entrance to the lake beside it._ Come on Eric, where are you?_ She was sure there would be a stiff penalty to pay for taking two rings if her plan didn't work. Suddenly, there he was, bursting out of the woods in front of her. She was relieved to see the field behind him was nowhere in sight.

"Eric!" Anna yelled, holding up one of the two rings she had taken. Her brother looked up and smiled; he stretched out his hand and nodded. Anna tossed the ring forward into the air and her brother caught it. He would still have to go around the checkered pole, but now he could concentrate on his tactics rather than _gathering_. "Watch out for Wendell behind me," she warned.

"Three behind me as well. Watch before you enter the woods again!" He yelled back, as they passed each other.

As Anna glanced behind her, she could see Eric shooting several spells in front of Wendell, trying to slow him down. She looked in the direction of the outgoing alleyway just in time to see another Defender suddenly explode from out of the forest next to it. He immediately shot a burst of yellow sparks to his left in front of Anna's entryway.

Too soon to really know if anybody would actually be there or not, the boy was obviously hoping to reap the rewards of a lucky shot. The sparks began to spin and whirl madly like a Catherine wheel, which positioned itself in front of Anna's exit. Two more riders pelted from out of the alley and also fired to their left. Two red beams cut across Anna's path. Swooper rotated ninety degrees, folding his wings tight to avoid the beams, and then popped open again to sweep around the yellow sparks. But when Anna looked up, her heart suddenly jumped into her throat; they had missed the entrance to the alleyway entirely and plunged directly into the forest.

Angry bits of wood and branch were attacking them from all directions as they dodged and bobbed and weaved through the tangled mess. "Oh God…oh God-oh God!" Anna yelled, just before ducking to miss one branch that might well have taken her head completely off.

Her father loved to say, 'Good luck is the steward of hard work.' But after today, Anna would come to understand luck could sometimes manifest itself simply as an unexpected positive result. Just when she thought they were going to be killed, they crashed through a thick mass of hanging vines and found themselves stopped, in mid-air, and dead center in the open alleyway again. Anna fell down over Swooper's neck and let out a sigh of relief. Despite the cold fog her breath expelled from her body, she felt like her insides were on fire. She rose up to give her horse a reinforcing pat on the side. Swooper flapped in place for a few seconds, snorted incredulously at their unbelievable good fortune, and then turned to head downwind. _Yes-sir, fate certainly favored the careless this day._

Right, left, right, Anna raced through the labyrinth of trees whose canopy sometimes made their path gloomy and hard to see. _No sign of Cobstone. She must be miles ahead by now_, she thought anxiously. Anna left the forest again and just caught sight of Cobstone entering the mountain containing the third pole. She could almost hear Swooper groaning like an old man rising with the dawn. He hated those dark caves.

Anna leaned down, "Don't worry; we'll take it nice and easy, okay? We don't need to catch her to win." Swooper gave a sharp snap against his bridle and bravely pushed on.

As they entered the mountain, Anna reached for her wand. _"Lumos!"_ She was using the spell Gwen had taught her in one of her first magic lessons with the Guardians. It was still very difficult to see. The blue mushrooms that normally lit their path were dark this time, and Swooper was much more hesitant to trust Anna when he could sense she was having just as much trouble seeing as himself. Their pace through the tunnels was very slow, but at least Anna was sure nobody else would make it through the mountain any easier. When she entered the center cavern, she was disheartened to see Cobstone was nowhere in sight. _CLANG!_ Anna grabbed the black ring and slowly turned toward the exit again.

She could see Wendell entering the cavern now, and he immediately started sending hexes to block her path to the exit next to him. It was like flying through a maze of ugly-green spider webs. Swooper ducked and laced his way through the net, knowing better than Anna what would happen if they touched one of its jagged strands of light. Anna reentered the tunnels again. While they had done extremely well in avoiding Wendell's trap it had served his purpose well. It had slowed them down.

The tunnels seemed, if possible, even darker than before. The light of Anna's wand was sucked into the blackness like water to a dry sponge. Swooper was gliding more than flying, sometimes stopping completely to be sure of the turns in front of them. Anna could hear a sharp _clang_ reverberate in the tunnel behind them and knew that meant Wendell and the palomino were on their way. He would catch them all too quickly with Anna blazing the path ahead of him. She realized this was one time where being in front was going to be a disadvantage.

It was getting worse the further they went, and the light of Anna's wand didn't seem to be helping them any better. The tunnel was a giant, black hole, stealing all the light and giving nothing back in return. On two occasions, Swooper bumped directly into the wall he thought was open space. In desperation, Anna even tried a striking hex, _"E__verbero!"_ It didn't help; the spell was absorbed into the void ahead of them in a flash of black and purple. After flying into the wall a third time, Anna finally decided they had to stop.

"This isn't getting us anywhere, Swooper. Let's go down," she said with a reassuring pat on the neck. She could feel her mount slowly sinking toward the bottom of the tunnel, and finally heard his metal shoes clatter upon the smooth stone. Anna unclipped her harness and dismounted. "Get down, Swooper. Let's let Wendell show us the way out." Swooper crouched low, finally resting his belly on the floor of the tunnel. _"Nox!" _she whispered, extinguishing her wand's light. They waited there, huddled together and listening to the dripping sound of water all around them.

Before long, they could hear the approaching sound of flapping wings and Wendell's voice cutting through the darkness. "Blast! Where are they?" he yelled, in a tone of frustrated anger. "Curse that Pearl and her mazes! I can't see a bloody thing in here. Where'd they go?"

The walls behind them started to brighten, and Anna could see the light of Wendell's wand filling the tunnel as they approached. She was right; it would be far better with Michael and the palomino in front of them, blazing the trail and taking all the risks. But Anna suddenly realized she didn't want to be seen. Wendell might try to block his path behind him if something wasn't done to hide their position. Anna dipped low and leaned over to Swooper.

"Invisible…" she said, "and be quick." Swooper jerked his head up with a grunt. "Shhhhhh! Just do it!" she whispered. Anna watched the darkness ripple and distort as Swooper's outline faded into nothingness. "Good boy. Now let's hope the crowd back at the stadium can't see us." Anna concentrated hard on her inner core. _It's time to come out my friend… I need you now._

Anna reached out and used the coldness of the walls next to her to link with the thing sleeping inside her body. Like a stirring winter storm, the creature within seemed to awaken far too easily before rushing forward. Anna could feel the coldness belching out from her eyes and mouth, oozing from every pore of her body. The Lethifold was coming.

Swooper could feel it too. Anna's touch had abruptly gone icy cold, and he could feel her body leaning over him changing, her weight lifting and spreading all around him. He grunted nervously and, with her last human breath, Anna tried to calm him, "It's all right, I'm still here. Like you, I've taken a different form –– ssshhhh –– here he comes."

Wendell's flapping was slow and exaggerated. "Where are they?" he yelled. "You must have missed a turn somewhere, you stupid beast!" Anna could hear the palomino grunt and the metal on his bridle rattling as he jerked forward indignantly. The boy was scanning every inch of the tunnel with his wand. "My God, your eyesight is worse than that black devil she's riding…"

The beam of light landed upon Anna at the bottom of the tunnel and the Lethifold froze. "They couldn't have just vanished," the boy said gruffly. "Move on!" The palomino's wings tilted up and began to flap passed them.

Trying to regain her control, Anna concentrated on the warm beaches of her home and the hot, summer sun pouring down upon her face. Slowly and most reluctantly, the Lethifold retreated, but not before turning her pumping heart into a solid block of ice. Anna felt her weight pressing on her feet again and dropped to one knee clutching the stabbing pain inside her chest. Her blood felt heavy there, and the coldness made it hard to breath. The Lethifold didn't want to withdraw. It wanted to stay in this place; the gloom and darkness was its home. Anna knew they had to get out of these dark tunnels and into the warm sun as fast as they could.

"Swooper… are you there? We…" the pain in her chest was tremendous. It felt like she was trying to swallow a gallon of ice water all at once, "… we have to follow Wendell. He'll light the way for us now." Anna looked up and saw the distorted image of her mount reappear in front on her. Through the backdrop of Wendell's fading light, Anna could see the horse was looking at her in anxious surprise. "I'm all right… it's just a little trick I do, like you and your invisibility," she tried to explain. "Let's go before they get too far ahead," she whispered.

Anna grabbed the horn of the saddle, snapped her harness into its metal loop, and jammed a foot in the stirrup. She bounced twice, stopped to take another rattled breath, and then tried again. Pushing with all her strength, her weakened body slid up the fender of the saddle until her shaking knee was straight. She threw her other leg over.

"Up, Swooper!" The Thorse began to flap his wings and, rising slightly off the ground, he turned toward Wendell's fading light ahead of them. "Not too close… I don't want him to hear us."

They slowly followed, Anna holding Swooper back so they wouldn't ruin the surprise she had planned for Michael ahead. She leaned down over her horse's back, clutching her chest. The Lethifold loved this place; it wanted to hunt here, in the security of all this blackness around them. She could feel it spreading out of her heart and into the blades of her back. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold it in. Finally they heard a howl somewhere ahead of them.

"There's the exit. Do you see it?" shouted Wendell, "Go, you stupid beast, get us out of here!"

Now Anna could see it too; beautiful rays of white light, streaking into the tunnel like lasers breaching a storm cloud. In her sudden exhilaration, Anna inadvertently lowered the barriers holding the Lethifold back, but instead of trying to burst forward she could feel it retreating from the approaching light. The icy pains in her back began to withdraw into her chest as she lifted the reins and pitched them forward.

"Go get them, boy," she murmured, in an ache-filled drone. Swooper's wings extended to their fullest length forward and kicked back hard. Anna could feel the wind beginning to press into her chest, as the light in front of them steadily grew brighter. Wendell still had no idea where Anna was, and she intended to take full advantage of his ignorance.

The tunnel exit was straight ahead of them now. Swooper was flapping hard behind the palomino, looking to close the gap at exactly the right moment. His head was slamming up and down like a piston as he hurtled through the air. "When we clear the tunnel, head for the ground."

Wendell shot through the exit with Anna right behind him, WHOOOOSH – WHOOSH! Swooper immediately flipped over and dove straight down, flapping hard as they corkscrewed toward the ground.

Anna looked up and to her surprise she could see Cobstone no more than a half a mile ahead of them, heading for the last alleyway; the sight of it made her smile. She knew she could catch Lannete from here; she had done it before and from a much greater distance, but this time she had all three of her rings. The _Amber Gates_ wouldn't steal their victory this time. Only Wendell was in their way now. She could see the palomino above them angling down toward the woods. Although his distance to the next alleyway was much shorter, she was counting on their increased speed and Swooper's strength to beat them to the gap.

"Go Swooper; we have to get to the opening before them!" Anna shouted, aware that the pain in her chest was fading with every passing second. She leaned over Swooper's back as he galloped madly through the air. It was going to be very close. She could see Wendell coming down now. They had to be in front of him before they entered the woods; Anna wanted Lannete to herself. Every muscle in Swooper's back was rock hard from his effort, and Anna pulled the stirrups back as far as she could so she wouldn't hamper his wing beats. It was going to be extremely close.

Wendell was coming down fast. He looked back toward the mountain again, and smiled at the empty space he saw there. "It looks like we finally lost that impudent first-year," he cooed happily. He looked forward again and his view of the alley entrance unexpectedly went black. Another horse suddenly shot up from below and the purple robes billowing in front of them confirmed his worse fear.

"What the…?" Wendell yelped, unintentionally yanking back on the reins in surprise. The palomino reared back in shock at the sight of another horse coming from out of nowhere to pass them. "Blast those two!" Wendell shouted angrily, as he watched the horse and its rider zip out of sight around the first turn in the alleyway. He cursed again, and began whipping his horse frantically to chase after them.

Left turn, right turn, right again, straight, Anna looked back and saw Wendell close behind them. If they could just make it out of this forest and into the open sky she was positive Swooper could out fly them all. Suddenly, something red shot over her right shoulder; she could feel the heat from the spell warm the side of her face. _What's Wendell doing? That was far too close._ The beam hit a tree ahead of them, slicing its heavy trunk in two. The top of the tree twisted slightly and then started crashing down in front of them. Swooper dove beneath it, missing the thick branches before turning again into another left bank. Anna looked back and could see Wendell pointing his wand at them again; his face looked a livid purple.

Another beam shot by them, and another, then another. Trees were falling ahead and around them, crashing down like a roof upon their heads. Swooper did a quick zigzag and darted around the splintering wood above and the sharp, serrated litter below them. Two more blasts streaked passed them just missing Anna's head.

And then, almost expectedly, one of the beams crashed into the center of Anna's back. The force of the hex kicked her chest forward and snapped her head back. The reins flew into the open air, and her mouth emitted a flash of light that was supposed to be a scream. Anna slumped forward onto Swooper's neck and seemed paralyzed to stop her body from rolling to the side. Swooper jerked into another right turn and Anna toppled over the side of his shoulder. There was a sharp snap and then a jerk as her harness went taut.

Anna was now dangling helplessly over the side of the horse, her feet slapping his hooves below. Swooper was jerked to the side from the sudden shift of weight and he immediately moved to compensate. He brought his left wing up and forward, accidentally hitting Anna in the head with its leading edge. Anna was slipping into blackness. Her body was limp, but every cell of her fiber was on fire. She slammed into Swooper's side, floated away, and then slammed into him again as he continued through his turns.

Anna raised her head in time to see the palomino flying over to pass them. The two horses flew into a tight left turn while Anna dangled helplessly beneath them. Swooper cut the inside of the turn off. Even in their present situation, he wasn't willing to allow the other horse to pass them so easily, and Anna could hear Wendell cursing as they dropped back once again. She knew the harness was probably cutting into her groin, but she couldn't feel her lower body anymore. Only her arms and legs continued to signal they were still there, but thankfully, that's all she needed to begin her climb back up.

Swooper was doing his best to help. Anna could feel him flicking and jerking, trying to toss her up onto his back again, but it was difficult to assist her and watch his turns at the same time. Finally they entered a straight lane and Anna tried to throw her foot into the stirrup. Wendell was alongside them again, and doing his best to beat Swooper out of his way. He was using his whip on Swooper's head and kicking his wings with the heel of his boot. Anna screamed at the boy to stop.

"Get… out… of my way… you devil!" Wendell yelled, whipping Swooper viciously across the face. They flew into another right turn just as the boy kicked down on Swooper's wing. The horse let out a grunt of pain and spun into a barrel roll. Anna was thrown completely around Swooper's left side, over the top past Wendell and down again. She could feel the nylon harness giving off sharp crackling sounds as some of the stitching surrendered to the stress. Anna's mind flashed to Gabby's birthday harness and all its heavy chains; the strap wasn't going to hold her much longer. But Swooper's roll had given her an idea. It wouldn't get her back in the saddle, but it might stop Wendell from beating her horse.

Left, right, left – Anna was smashed time and again against Swooper's ribs. It was like being continuously thrown against the side of a brick wall. Wendell was at it again, flying on the other side and whipping Swooper's back and head mercilessly.

"Stop it!" Anna screamed, pulling herself up just high enough to see him over the top of her saddle. Wendell saw her and then laid his whip across her forehead in reply. The blow split Anna's skin open and sent her half dazed back down the side. She screamed, this time more from anger than pain, and she felt an enraged growl bubble up from the deepest part of her soul as she looked up into the next alleyway again. She recognized what she needed; another right turn was coming toward them. She braced herself as best she could. "Roll right, Swooper! Roll… right!"

Swooper gave an acknowledged grunt as they flew into the turn. He tucked his right wing under his belly and began to corkscrew through the air again. Anna was hurled over the top once more, this time taking aim at Wendell as she came back down. Michael looked up in horror just in time to see Anna's boot whipping down upon him. Her heel connected with his face with an ugly thud. Swooper finished the turn and Anna was slammed into his legs again as they leveled.

Wendell was reeling. The blow laid him flat against the back of the palomino and he was struggling with all his might to remain saddled. He pulled and yanked on the reins, desperately working to keep his balance.

Up, down, left, down, right, the two horses continued flying side by side through the maze of tree-lined alleyways. Anna was trying to use the harness strap like a rope to pull herself up to the stirrup. After lifting herself halfway, she held the strap tight as they fell into another series of turns. When she felt them level again, she began to climb; but now she could hear Wendell whipping on Swooper's back once more. Anna gave a last heave and grabbed the horn of the saddle. _Almost there — don't give up. Come on!_

Anna grit her teeth as every muscle in her body screamed in strained agony. See looked over the saddle again and found Wendell staring down at her. She could see his face was already badly bruised. Blood was oozing from his teeth and smearing the sides of his cheeks before flying out behind him. He looked like some demonic clown out of the depths of Hell's circus. His eyes looked more than angry; they were absolutely wild with coiled wrath. Anna looked at the clip on the saddle, she could hear the strap beginning to tear and pop. She looked up at Wendell again and could see him looking at the strap as well. Their eyes met, and Wendell's lips curled into a grotesque and bloody smile.

"No…" Anna whispered, as Wendell brought his wand around and pointed it at the strap. Anna could see his lips moving and then a bright flash of light hit the strap connecting her to the clip. There was a sharp rip and Anna was set free. She was falling, and for the lack of something else to properly focus on, her brain occupied itself with the sudden quietness of the world around her. There was an odd struggle of the sky and the green of the forest to steal her attention, and the cold-numbing air passing around her body as she tumbled down.

The first blow took Anna's breath away, a thick and gnarled branch of a tree smashing into her ribs. "Oooff!" _Oh… God, _Anna thought, just before another branch hit the side of her head. "UGGHN!" It suddenly felt like she was passing through a gauntlet of angry trolls, swinging and hitting her from every direction.

WHAM – SMACK – CRACK! "AARGH!"The pain from one blow was immediately replaced with the agony of another, and then another, but all the time Anna somehow believed if she remained aware that she would somehow survive. Then, quite unexpectedly, the image of her mangled body impaled on a broken stump scared her into the proper level of terror suitable to the circumstances at hand. She started to scream, but the next thick blow into her ribs immediately silenced her.

CRACK – BLAM

"Oooff!"

CRASH — CRACK — THUD

Anna had no way of knowing how long she lay unconscious on the forest floor, but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. When her eyes popped open again, she could still hear the falling branches in the trees around her, working to fill the hole her body had punched through the high canopy. She was lying on her back, looking up at the sun streaming through the green, umbrella-like ceiling above her. She found her mind marveling at the chattering of birds and the distinct sounds of toads burping their oblivious song.

It was one of the strangest moments of her life. Taking in the view around her like some solitary traveler contemplating a nap, Anna wondered how long she should wait before sitting up to take inventory on the injuries she would inevitably have to face. Within seconds, however, she was forced to acknowledge the reality of the situation at hand; something was terribly wrong.

A burning sensation began to fill her chest and spread quickly into her throat. When the creeping, lava-like menace reached her brain, she suddenly realized what was broken. _My God… I'm… I'm not breathing!_

Sure enough, Anna tried to take in a breath, but to her horror found she could not. She tried to lift her shaking head, expecting to find something enormously heavy sitting upon her chest, but there wasn't anything there. Her mind started to panic. _I can't breath! I… I… can't… breath!_ Anna slowly twisted her torso to the side, her mouth gaping wide, trying to force her lungs to work. She could feel the pressure building in the top of her head now, and she knew it would only be a matter of seconds before she passed out. The alarm of not being able to breath was immediately joined by the terror of knowing that if she did black out, she would probably never wake up. Anna's teeth closed to bite into the mildew-laden dirt pressing into her face, and then opened wide again, as if to remind her lungs there was work to be done. The outside of her body was trying to force the inside to work for it, which even in her current state seemed completely contrary to the norm.

Finally, a gurgling flutter of wind passed through her lips, and Anna felt the remaining bubbles of air leave her. Clutching her throat, she rolled over on her back again as a thrashing panic started to spread throughout the rest of her body. She was drowning; drowning in a sea of asphyxiating madness. Her vision was growing dark; blackness was creeping up from her feet like a shroud moving across her body. Suddenly, something inside her body seemed to realize it had forgotten the most important task assigned to it, and there was movement.

"Paa—huuhhhaaa!"

She sucked in a half-breath and immediately tried with all her might to push it out again. The breath wheezed its way guardedly like a new route just discovered, and Anna immediately reversed her airway to bring in another rattled heave. It wasn't enough; she was definitively on her way out. Anna brought forth one more raged half-gasp and then quickly found she could do it again, and her lungs began to inflate and fill the space made for them. She coughed and then took in three more breaths as fast as she could, working hard to hold off the blackness that surely awaited anybody depriving their body of air for so long. The pain was incredible, radiating up both hips and into her ribcage.

Over the next several minutes, Anna lay on her side breathing deliberately until she was certain her lungs could be trusted to work unmonitored on their own. Soon, the burning in her chest and head was replaced by a hellish inferno of pain in her ribs and legs. She tried to sit up, but was instantly slammed with a bolt of pain shooting up her right leg that traveled straight into her heart. The shock of the blow snatched her breath away again. She screamed, and then fainted before her falling body hit the leaf-strewn ground behind her.

A full ten minutes had passed before Anna awoke to a completely new definition of pain. Although the trumpets of torture in her ribs and legs were still there, the symphony in her back had decided to join in. She tried to sit up, but only got as far as propping her upper body on her elbows.

She took in another deep breath and then decided to test her voice. "Hello? Can… anybody… hear me?" she called, not really listening for a reply; there was no answer anyway. "I need some HELP…! I could really… really use some help over here," she finished with a whimper. Anna winced at the sharp pain in her leg, and then reluctantly looked down.

Her robes and skirt were completely torn open. The right knee was pointed straight up, but her kneecap was pushed over to the inside of her leg, and she seemed to have an extra joint between what was left of the knee and her ankle. "Oh dear… that isn't right, is it?" she said, trying to be brave.

She looked over at the long, bloody gashes on her other leg. The muscle looked like it had exploded from under the skin; she quickly looked away. She started to cry, but immediately decided that wasn't going to do her any good. She looked at the bloody gash again and reached deep for her courage. "God, I'll bet that leaves a mark. Girl… you're in a lot of trouble here," she said, disparagingly. "HELLO!" she screamed again, this time throwing her head back to yell, still no reply. Anna looked in horror at the piece of bone sticking out of the inside of her right shin. She felt her stomach give an involuntary lurch. "Now I know… that wasn't there… when I woke up this morning," she said, trying to hold off the urge to vomit.

She looked behind her and saw the trunk of a large tree just a few feet away. She tried pushing herself backwards toward the tree, dragging her mangled legs with her. Another bolt of lightning shot up her right leg to ring the stupid bell against her ribs. She screamed again and fell back against the trunk of the tree, smacking her head on the hardwood. Bright white sparks shot through her brain in an ugly, but strangely familiar pattern. It was the dueling hall all over again. Anna lay there for a moment with her eyes closed, trying to catch her breath. "Okay… that… was a mistake," she heard herself moan out loud.

She was on the verge of passing out again, but something seemed to snap her awake at the last possible second. There was a far off sound in the woods she recognized; she could sense something coming toward her. Heavy footsteps were moving through the undergrowth in a searching pattern.

"Eric?" she mumbled in a dazed, half-groggy voice. "I'm over here. Daddy? Is… that… you?"

Anna opened her eyes again and looked up into the high canopy. Her vision was failing her. Everything was beginning to blur into some distorted muddle of sunlight mixed with green. She jerked her head up again, trying with all her might to stay awake. "I'm… over… here," she whispered to the forest around her. She could still feel those heavy footsteps approaching in the distance.

And then, through her dazed and failing eyesight, Anna saw something peering at her through the bushes below her feet. She squinted, trying to focus her eyes properly. Two yellow eyes with vertical slits were staring at her, like a cat watching a mouse before it pounced.

Anna shook her head, and slowly raised herself onto her elbows again. "Hello… there…" she said, nervously. "Are you, ahhh… friend or foe, little one?" The thing growled through a row of very sharp teeth, and Anna could see something like bony horns protruding from its face.

"Uh-oh… okay… maybe not a friend, then," she quipped, fearfully. She could hear the creature in the bushes sniffing the air from its hiding place and its eyes narrowing to focus on her bloody and badly broken legs. Anna slowly moved her hand into her robes, looking for the handle of her wand. It wasn't there. _Great… that's just great!_

She saw another pair of eyes next to the first, and then three more sets in the bushes to her left.

"Ah… listen, guys. I don't want to be a bother or anything, but I could really use some help here," she said, trying to sound calm. "Could I ask one of you to trot along and… ah… find one of those big, burly guys in red robes for me?" There was a pause… and then a horrible, yowling cry from one of the creatures. As bad as the sound was, it was quickly joined by several others that Anna couldn't see hiding around her. They sounded like some grotesque choir tuning their throats before the dirge.

Anna remembered a song of her own she had once heard on a Muggle radio at school. She started to hum the tune as she reached out to gather whatever weapons she could find lying around her. _"Welcome to the jungle… we've got fun and games…"_ Anna winced in pain as she found a stick lying beside her. She grabbed it and then lifted the wood over her body, _"… learn to… look like a hungry animal… in the jungle where we play…"_ she sang in a whisper, clutching the stick close to her chest. _"They look hungry for what they see…" _she sang again, looking around her,_ "…they'll take it eventually…"_

There was another bolt of agonizing pain shooting her into the heart again. "Hoooaaaa!" she moaned, clutching the sides of her leg. The darkness trying to envelop her brain had turned her vision into a blurring, greenish haze again, and it occurred to her that it might be wise to let herself pass out. If she was going be eaten by these creatures, it would be better not to be awake to watch it happen. Only one thing was making a case to remain conscious; the footsteps she had heard earlier were very close now. But Anna's head was beginning to spin, bringing with it a dizzying wave of nausea that forced her body back down again. _Whoever's coming had better get here fast._

A moment later, there was a crash of braking branches to her right and then the sound of heavy breathing was above her. Anna opened her eyes and looked up to see the shadowed outline of something big standing over her. Anna smiled drunkenly at the thing. It was twisting and bending comically in the delusional fog flooding her brain.

"_You can have anything you want… but you'd better not take it from me…" _Anna sang, hugging her stick tight.She giggled at the hulkish figure leaning over her broken body.

"You are all right now, Miss," said a deep and very kind voice. "I am called Trog, I am. And Trog will take care of you, he will."

There was the sound of Trog's rustling feet and snapping limbs in the trees around her, but Anna's vision had completely left her now. She had no idea who or what was trying to help her, but his gentle hands began to bind her leg tight.

"Your leg is badly broken, it is. I will splint it and take you back to the castle. You will be home soon, you will."

"I don't know… if I can make it that far…" Anna sobbed weakly. She could feel the thing calling itself Trog suddenly stop working on her leg. He leaned over her and gently pushed her matted hair away from her dirty face.

"You will listen now to Trog, you will," he said, sympathetically. "You are strong in the spirit, and have survived the worst this day has to offer, you have. Faith little one, and know that even in times like this we are never alone. God is with us always, he is. Your faith is your strength, and strength is what you need. Hold on, you will. Do you hear Trog speaking, do you?"

"Yes…" Anna replied painfully through her tears. She reached out blindly to touch the stranger's hand. "Thank… you…" Anna whispered, and then gasped loudly as he lifted her into his arms.

"You're still in pain, are you? Where else does it hurt?"

"My… my ribs!" Anna sobbed, clutching her rescuer with balled fists and burying her grimacing face into his chest.

"You took a high fall, you did," the voice explained caringly. "I will take you to where help is."

He began to carry her forward through the forest, and there was an ugly yowl from the creatures behind them again.

"I have her now, I do. Thank your clan for finding her. She is in my care, she is," the hulk replied to the beasts with yellow eyes. The creatures gave a satisfied yelp, and then quickly disappeared into the forest.

They traveled for just a few minutes when another set of voices joined them.

"Who's there?" a man barked somewhere in front.

"I have the girl who fell from the sky, I do," said Anna's rescuer. "She is badly injured, she is."

"Stay where you are!" called a second man's voice. "We'll come to you! Blast this bloody forest! Thick as the depths down here." Anna could hear a number of footsteps crashing through the branches toward them.

"Hold on," yelled the first voice, "oh… it's you," the man said, in a disappointed tone. "Trog, isn't it? What do you think you're doing? Put the girl down!"

"Put down your wand, wizard. It is unnecessary, it is," demanded the thing carrying Anna.

"I said put her down, you stupid oaf…"

"Hold on!" called the second voice now joining them. "Hello, Trog. I see you've found her? Excellent! Well done."

"I found her in the briars, I did. She has a badly broken leg and an injured cage, she does."

"Okay Trog, put the girl down so we can have a quick look at her." Anna was lowered to the ground once again.

"Miss Grayson, can you hear me?" said the second voice. "You're in the protective care of the Spellsburg Guard." Anna couldn't answer. The voices of the men were wavering in and out of her head like a badly tuned song.

"What did you do to her!" yelled the first voice.

"I helped her, I did," replied Trog in a defensive tone.

"Looks to me like you might have killed her!"

"Shut up, Larry. Trog didn't do anything of the sort. Miss Grayson? Can you hear my voice?" Anna could feel somebody lifting one of her eyelids and then saw something flashing into her eye. He did the same to the other. "Miss Grayson?"

"I… hear," whispered Anna, in a barely audible voice.

"Let's get her on a door and up to the castle."

"Here is the girl's wand. I found it in the woods near where she fell, I did."

"What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to have a wand in your hand," yelled the first voice, snatching the purple heart away.

"I found it in the roots. She would want it back, she would!"

"Of course she would, Trog. Thank you. I'll make sure she gets it back," said the second man.

"Trog will go with you, he will."

"You know you're not allowed up at the castle unless you're specifically called for by the Captain," said the first man, angrily.

"But he never calls me anymore," the deep voice replied despondently. "I want to help, to be called to duty like in the days..."

"Called to duty…?" the first man scoffed.

"I'm still in training, I am. I can be useful."

"In training?" said the man, mockingly. "As much a waste of time training you as those empty suits of armor up at the castle."

"Shut up, Larry. Have some respect!" said the second man.

"Respect… for the likes of that? Why bother? You know the Captain wants nothing to do with him. It's only because of the Chancellor that he even bothers to…"

"I said shut up! You don't know what you're talking about."

Anna could feel herself being lifted once again. "Let's get her back to the castle where Doctor Pearl can do her some good." Anna felt her body set upon something hard and then bound tight with straps. "All right, we're all set. Thank you, Trog. We'll take it from here; you've done well, probably saved her life."

"Trog can be useful, he can," replied the gentle voice.

"You sure proved that today, my friend."

"Will you tell the Captain how useful I was, will you?"

"Of course I will. Hey, maybe he'll let you join us for Christmas. We're always short on personnel over the holidays. I'll suggest it to him, all right?"

"I am most grateful, I am. Trog can be useful whenever he's needed, he can."

"So long, Trog. Stay warm this winter. It was good seeing you again."

"Goodbye," Trog said with a wave.

Anna could hear the sound of footsteps crunching their way toward her, and then the first man's whispering voice. "Don't hold your breath waiting to hear from the Captain, old-boy," the voice said to Trog, contemptuously. Anna felt her body rising into the air. "I'll send up red sparks to let them know we've found her."

"Trog found her, you mean," said the second man, more accurately.

"Yeah… okay, whatever you say."

As they flew along, Anna finally allowed herself to drift into unconsciousness once again. She never remembered her arrival on the hospital floor that morning, or Doctor Pearl's frantic efforts to heal her severely broken body. Her return was nothing more than a jumble of unrecognizable voices, yelling and screaming, with the occasional far off sounds of Eric, the twins, and Gabby asking if Anna could hear them.

But something else penetrated the racket of panicked voices and slamming doors more than anything else that morning. It was a song. But it wasn't the song Anna had sung to herself while in the forest; this song was more of a hum. It was loving and gentle, and Anna somehow knew it had come to offer her comfort. The tone of the voice floating into her head warmed her spirit as it sang to her over and over again; a familiar lullaby that seemed to awaken a deep longing in Anna's soul.

Over the next five days the lullaby slowly gave way to Anna's draft-induced recovery, which was comforted with dreams of her gentle rescuer. His warm voice swam through her head as she slept, along with something else Anna had sensed about him while being carried through the Shadowed Forest. Held safe from further harm in his massive arms, Anna felt something recognizable in his nature. Surprisingly, it was something that she had sensed once before at Castlewood. Trog had a familiar rhythm about him that seemed to explain all of the kindness and soothing compassion he had given to Anna that day in the woods. More than saving her life, Trog had found Anna's tortured soul, beaten and lost, and reminded her, even in that dark moment, that God's presence was all around them. The stranger's faith had sustained her in a way before now only her father could, and it would serve them both as the foundation of a friendship for the rest of their lives. So much gentle kindness could barely be contained in a soul with a single heart, and that's what was different about Trog. He had two hearts.

147


	32. Family Reunion

Chapter 32d29 – Family Reunion

Chapter 32

Family Reunion

ONE

"Mr. Wendell, you have been called here to receive this court's verdict on your actions of November twenty-fourth. Are you prepared to hear our decision in the matter of this case?"

"I am, Madam President."

It was two days after the race, and while Anna lay unconscious in the hospital recovering from her injuries, a student court had been assembled to review Michael Wendell's role in Anna's fall in the Shadowed Forest. Nancy Dodimayer was presiding over the court. She was seated high in the center of a crescent-shaped set of benches on her left and right, which contained all of the Union Knights of Castlewood. Seated at another desk below her was the Captain of the Crimson Guard. There were raised bleachers on both sides of the courtroom, which contained witnesses both supporting Wendell to one side, and those who had testified against him on the other. Wendell's supporters to his left looked unusually small compared to those seated and standing on the right.

"Very well," said Dodimayer, rustling through a stack of parchment. She finally looked down at Michael who was standing alone at a podium below her. There was a very large audience of spectators seated on the other side of a black railing to the rear of the courtroom. "Mr. Wendell, we have heard from a number of witnesses regarding your actions on the day in question, and we have now called you here to answer some of your accusers. As it is our tradition, we will open the floor to you and those in the court to debate your culpability. As President of the Student Counsel, and leader of the Castlewood Knights, I will begin."

She paused to write some notes, dropped her quill, and then stared down at him. "Mr. Wendell, I find your actions on the Vollucross field on November twenty-fourth absolutely despicable!"

"I beg your pardon?" Wendell replied, surprised by both Dodimayer's tone and her accusation.

"You heard me, Michael. Yes –– I listened to your account of what happened, and I found it quite amusing listening to your version of the race and how Miss Grayson supposedly attacked you."

"She did attack me!" Wendell shouted defensively. "I was kicked in the face –– she drew first blood!"

"Only after you shot her in the back with an illegal hex and then split her head open with your riding crop," growled a Knight from the Server Union seated to Dodimayer's right. It was Karen Scott.

"I told you that was an accident! I was trying to move her mount out of my way after using legal levels of magic to block her path. I shot no less than a dozen spells prior to her being hit. It wasn't my fault she flew into my beam."

"Rubbish!" bellowed Jeremiah Kingston from the right witness gallery. "Anna was flying straight and level," he added angrily. "Flew into your path, indeed! You're still lying to this court, Michael. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I believe Grayson did fly into the hex!" argued a standing girl supporting Wendell from the left gallery.

"Are we admitting, then, that it _was_ a hex?" retorted a Laborer Knight in front.

"I did not hex the girl!" Wendell seethed, glaring at the girl trying to support him; she nervously sat back down.

"You showed a total disregard for Anna's safety from the very beginning. I didn't see anybody else trying to kill the other riders with swinging trees," said a stern looking Artisan Knight.

"Oh… come on. We were told before the race that we could create barriers to bar our opponent's path."

"Barriers? Is that what we're calling it… creating barriers? And what would you have said had you taken her head off? That it was her fault for not ducking quickly enough? It's a good thing Lannete Cobstone knew enough about your tactics, Michael, or we would be fishing her body out of the lake too." Wendell glared back, searching angrily for the correct response.

"I saw you shove Anna into the trees after the first pole!" shouted a voice from the right gallery.

"So — what?" Wendell snarled. "Those who know anything about our sport understand that a rider is allowed to protect his position. Doctor Pearl, wouldn't you agree?"

The Vollucross Steward stood among those in the right gallery. "You should not call on those to your right to help your case, Michael. I cannot in good conscious walk across this courtroom to join your supporters on the left. I warned you before the beginning of the race that I would be watching you closely. I saw what you did," she growled. Nobody in the courtroom could remember seeing Pearl so angry. While she appeared outwardly calm, there was an unmistakable rage behind her guarded façade. "In my mind your actions were disgraceful."

Wendell sighed. "Yes — yes — so you've told me several times both immediately following the race and then again today. But my question was… am I not, by rule, allowed to hold my position through the air?"

Pearl glared angrily at him from under her lowered brow and then turned to the bench. "He is quite correct… the court should understand a rider is allowed to hold his space and position through a leading turn. Mr. Wendell did nothing wrong when Anna was shoved aside. I am sure, that with experience, Miss Grayson will be more cautious in regard to her tactics when trying to pass."

"Huh! You see?" Wendell shouted, pointing the bench Pearl's way.

"However," Pearl continued, her jaws were clinched tight, you could see the muscles in her cheeks flexing beneath the skin, "that does not excuse you purposely cutting her away from her harness!"

Wendell dropped his head in visible frustration. "As I said before, I didn't cut her loose. I was trying to reinforce the strapping on her harness clip after I heard it giving way. I didn't mean to see the girl fall." There was a long murmur of discontent within the courtroom.

"Just another misunderstanding on the part of all those who witnessed what you did, Michael?" asked a Searcher Knight on Dodimayer's left. Wendell glared back without answering. "But you still haven't explained why we all saw a red flash from your wand when your spell hit the clip. It certainly looked like a cleaving spell to me, not at all the repairing charm you claim here in your sworn statement. I'm still waiting to see you produce a repairing charm with a red flash, Michael."

"I didn't cut her loose," Wendell growled. The gallery started to grumble back incredulously.

"May I say something?" interrupted Captain Dunning, who was slowly rising to his feet. The crowd in the courtroom fell silent as the captain stepped around his desk to stand in the open area between Wendell and Dodimayer's bench. "As you know, it's difficult for me to say anything about what did or did not happen during the race. Unfortunately, I was busy working at my desk in the castle at the time in question. I can, however, offer some information about the behavior of Miss Grayson during her short time here at the school."

"Oh… here we go again…" Tencha whispered to Dowla.

"As many of you know, most of the students here at Castlewood have spent their entire time with us without a hint of scandal on their record. They've never caused any trouble, in no way harmed anybody, and never gave the guards a reason to report them to this body or my office. Fewer still have ever had detention." He paused to circle the room with his hands clasped behind his back, choosing his words both carefully and purposefully.

"The testimony against Mr. Wendell is highly egregious, and many here today won't be satisfied with anything but the harshest penalties affording his deeds. However, I would be negligent in my duties if I didn't point out Miss Grayson has not always been the most innocent of students in her short time here at the school."

"What's that supposed to mean?" retorted Gwen from the right gallery.

Captain Dunning did not look up, but merely directed his response to the bench. "Miss Grayson has been sent to detention twice since September, once for threatening a fellow student in front of witnesses, and a second time for attacking the same student and breaking her nose. It would seem the girl has a need for violence that most would find…"

"That's a lie!" yelled Gwen again. "This _other_ _student_ you're taking about is your sister, and I was there when Debbie Dunning threatened Anna in the hallway first. And this attack, as you called it, happened in a fair fight in the dueling hall, which you yourself forced Anna to participate in against her will."

"Captain Dunning," Dodimayer interrupted, gaveling Gwen into silence, "I am at a loss to understand what any of this has to do with Wendell's case?"

Dunning smiled coyly. "I simply wish to make the court aware of the fact that Miss Grayson has proven to be less than the ideal student in her short time here at the academy, and we should consider the very real possibility the girl did lash out at Wendell as he stated in his testimony."

"I was in the stadium to see what happened, Captain," said the Laborer Knight in response, "and while I have heard all the talk about Grayson's brilliant retaliation in flying over her mount to strike at Mr. Wendell, I for one, give it very little credence. She was whipped around her horse in the middle of a turn and struck Wendell on the way down. To think her actions were somehow premeditated is giving her first-year skills much more credit than they deserve. In my mind the whole idea is rather ludicrous. If we're to blame anybody for the contact, it might as well be the horse who threw Anna on top of Michael."

"I saw her face as she came down," Wendell related, angrily. "She looked…" he suddenly stopped. The boy's eyes seem to be reaching back to the scene in his memory. "She… was staring at me and bearing down –– it was no accident. She knew what she was doing!"

"My point is," Dunning continued, "the Graysons have a talent for creating trouble. Anna Grayson's record this year reinforces that opinion beyond any doubt. With the court's permission, I could open the files on the other members of the Grayson family as well. I believe this would show a pattern of…"

"Keep us out of this, Dunning," Dowla shouted from behind the back railing. "This trial is about Wendell and not your sister's swimming lessons with the grindylows!" Everybody in the courtroom began to laugh.

BANG-BANG-BANG!

"That's enough…" Dodimayer scowled, setting her gavel back down. "Please continue, Captain." Dunning bowed respectfully.

"In summary, the Grayson family's record of detention, violence, and rule breaking must be a consideration when trying to get to the truth in this matter. While I can sympathize with the pain and injury Miss Grayson sustained in her fall," the man tried but failed to hide a smirk, "we cannot allow this to blind our judgment of the facts before us. We must mind our biases here. While many would naturally wish to take the injured party's side in a case like this, it behooves us to understand the history surrounding the individual involved. If I, for example, were to let my prejudices preside over reason, I would fall to Wendell's side without regard to further testimony if the other party in question happened to be a Grayson."

Dunning made his way back around his desk where he finally sat. There was a murmuring rumble growing in the courtroom, which quickly fell silent when a lone figure stood to the right of the bench. It was Eric Grayson. He addressed himself to the court.

"My apologies, Madam President. I know I have excluded myself from these proceedings in all but my physical presence, but I feel it necessary now to speak. Since it was my sister who was injured on opening day, I know the court expects me to abstain from any vote put before it, and I accept both the spirit and principle of these rules of etiquette." Eric then turned to face Captain Dunning. "I will not, however, stand by and silently listen to a fellow officer of this court attack my family name. If the captain believes the presence of my family at this school has become a detriment to the Academy's honorable goals, then I would be happy to take these discussions up with him privately. His views regarding my family have no bearing on the case before us."

Captain Dunning stood again to face Eric. "The Graysons are a menace to this school, and now Anna Grayson has lent her part in continuing the havoc started by her sisters."

"HOW DARE YOU!" screamed Tencha, who then leapt to her feet. Eric stopped his sister's outburst by holding up his hand. He was scowling at Dunning.

"You, sir, are out of line, and you seem to forget your own family's part in the matters in which you speak. I could detail for this court the circumstances involving your sister in each and every incident in which you blame my family. All, that is, except for the most recent occasion when you had Anna arrested without cause, and embarrassed more by having her escorted from the Server Hall under Crimson escort. My family is still waiting for a proper explanation from your office as to how such a mistake could have happened, Captain." Dunning spun around to reply, but Eric cut him off. "I say again, the dispute between the members of your family and mine have no bearing on this case."

"Don't presume you can defend the evils done to this school by your family as being something personal between us. This is not a Dunning-Grayson problem, but a problem within Castlewood in allowing you to stay. And that, in my opinion, goes to the root of this case and most of the others brought to my attention since I was first placed in post here."

"Doesn't that confirm what I just said, Captain?" Eric replied, trying desperately to remain calm. "I'm sure if we check the record, you won't find any _Grayson problems_ until the day your sister arrived. I think this goes to show the problem…"

"How dare you suggest that my sister is the cause of the havoc your family brings into this school? She doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"Really? Let me understand you, then. It is your belief that the damage done here wasn't caused by anything Wendell might have done, but simply because the Graysons are allowed to stay at the school?"

"Circuitously or directly… the Graysons _are_ the largest part of disorder on the grounds today." Dunning's response showed an accumulating anger that was quickly building.

"And you believe it best for the school if the Graysons were sent home?"

"That's right!"

"Including me?"

"Absolutely!" Dunning spat angrily. He didn't notice the stunned gasp from the crowd or Nancy Dodimayer's recoiled frown. Eric's expression remained flat.

"And what of my brother, Damon Grayson? Would you have him sent home?"

"YES!"

"Why?"

"WHY?" Dunning hollered in bewildered amazement, "Because the Graysons are known troublemakers. Every one of you should be as far away from this place as possible. Your family is…" he suddenly broke off, realizing that Eric had pressed him into revealing far too much about his personal feelings. In his seething rage, he had proven Eric's point entirely.

Eric took a calming breath. "I believe, Captain, that my brother and I have never given this school pause to reprove us in any way, let alone subject us to any disciplinary action. Speaking of my brother," Eric continued, leaning over to place a hand on Damon's shoulder next to him, "Damon has never broken a school rule, nor has he ever done anything to bring down the standards this Academy expects from all of its residents. I hope my brother will forgive my boldness on his behalf, but he's one of this school's top academics this year, and has distinguished himself in sufficient sum to be honored and posted as a Knight. Yet, for some strange reason, you would see him leave." Eric sighed, shaking his head remorsefully. "It is obvious there are issues here that need our full attention. Again, I would suggest we remove ourselves from this case and challenge our resolve to own the problems between us in a more private forum."

Dunning hated nearly everything about the Graysons, but most of all… he hated this, what he called the Grayson _high speech_; the voice they adopted in public gatherings. Through their father's tutorage, all of the Graysons were trained to forever shine with a high degree of conviction when speaking in public about their family. Whether the quality of their words was meant to be an instrument for protecting their so-called family honor or to project an arrogant sense of aristocracy didn't matter to the captain; he hated it either way, and could barely contain his personal loathing at hearing Eric's speech.

"You prop yourself far too high, Grayson," Dunning grumbled back. "As Captain of the Crimson Guard, I wouldn't waste my time conversing and debating with one who hasn't lived long enough to understand how a person's actions reflect his true nature. We are not the great unwashed you attempt to patronize here. We who are wise enough to have lived and survived on our wits in the real Wizarding world are not impressed with your brand of narcissism."

There was a long pause as the two men stared fixedly at each other. While many in the court could barely understand everything being said, the knife-fight in their eyes served as interpreter enough. There was a level of hate here that few had ever recognized.

Eric's response was carefully controlled. "I can respect your position, my dear Captain," he said mournfully, "and I apologize for rising above my station in representing my family in council with you." Eric's repentant response seemed to take Dunning back. "Fortunately, the opportunity to lay aside our differences is still available to us. I only ask that you allow me to work with your office to find an appropriate time tomorrow where I will be better prepared to offer you a more suitable representative of my family's interests in this matter."

Dunning cocked his head in a tired, almost bemused way. "And who would you have calling upon me to embody your family's views?" he said, in a bored tone.

Eric smiled. "I believe my father… would be more than happy to oblige you, Captain."

Dunning's eyes suddenly widened. "Your father? Your father will be here… tomorrow?" The abrupt change in Dunning's tone made Tencha and Dowla grin eagerly. Even Nancy Dodimayer found something amusing in the captain's surprised response.

"That is correct, Captain. I received an owl from California just this afternoon. As you can imagine, my father is very concerned about Anna's injuries," Eric replied worriedly. "He will arrive at noon tomorrow with the Grayson family healer." He straightened. "I hope this meets well with your request for a more… seasoned Grayson representative." Eric's rather genteel smile suddenly turned cold as he leaned forward on the railing in front of him. "And I can assure you, Captain Dunning, my father will not patronize you in the least."

Dunning's worried look suddenly went rigid. "Fine. That will do, Grayson. Check with my office for an appropriate time, then," the captain replied, and then sat down. Eric gave a slight but respectable bow toward Dunning, and then a quick wink to Gwen sitting in the gallery. There was another pause while the rest of the court tried to reclaim the business at hand.

"Mr. Wendell, are you ready to receive this court's verdict?" called Dodimayer. Michael startled at hearing his name again. He turned to face the bench and straightened his robes.

"I am, Madam President," he replied confidently.

The Student President turned to face the Union Knights around her. "I now ask my fellow Knights if the debate we've heard this morning changes your views already given to me." Nancy looked at each and every Knight around the bench. One by one, they all shook their heads and then stood. Dodimayer and Captain Dunning also stood.

"Very well. Michael Wendell, this court finds you guilty of malicious intent and your actions directly responsible for a fellow student's injury."

"WHAT…?" Wendell yelped, "You can't be serious?"

"The court before you is in full agreement," Nancy replied.

"But that's not fair; she drew first blood!"

"Even if Anna Grayson's actions were somehow deliberate, Michael, she was bleeding from your whip before she struck back, and you could have killed her in your response. The only real debate we had was in the matter of your proper punishment. You should know some standing in judgment before you wanted the harshest penalty possible. But in the end, I think what we've finally decided is fair and equitable to all." The crowd in the court drew a deep breath.

"The court has decided to defer your punishment to the Vollucross Steward of Castlewood. The Steward will be given full authority over the final wording in your case, and she will be allowed to offer whatever punishment she feels appropriate and within her power to bestow." The crowd let out a gasp as everybody's eyes immediately turned to Doctor Pearl.

"What?" Wendell blurted out. "But Pearl has testified against me in this case, and now you're going to let her sentence me? This is — outrageous!"

Dodimayer scowled down at Wendell. "Doctor Margaret Pearl's wisdom and discrimination, sir, are trusted and beyond reproach in this courtroom. Regardless of her feelings about the events leading up to your standing before us today, the court was unanimous in its decision to allow her to decide your fate." With these words, Doctor Pearl reluctantly stood up and walked down the gallery steps to the front podium.

"This is absurd!" Wendell snapped.

"We are unanimous, Mr. Wendell!" Nancy retorted.

"But…"

"Shut up, Michael," Dunning said dully. "You had your chance to speak and argue your point. While we might forever debate the circumstances leading up to what happened, Doctor Pearl is a fair person. Trust me… you're getting off easy." Wendell looked shocked. He glared at Pearl angrily and then hopefully. Pearl stood at the podium and took a deep breath. She seemed very ill at ease with the power just given to her.

"I appreciate the court's trust in my ability to exorcize my feelings in this case. But, in all honesty, I'm not sure this is wise. You… perhaps… give me more credit than I merit. I say this because I cannot set aside the belief that Michael's actions represent everything the sport of Vollucross is not. It's not about winning at any cost. It's not about showing off a rider's talent or the beautiful creatures we fly. It's not about the cheering crowds or the newspapers, or the odds-makers, or even the Chancellor's Cup. It's about tradition, fair play, and most important of all… it's about honor." Pearl's eyes locked onto Wendell. "What you did out there was absolutely shameful… despicable!"

"Doctor… please…" Wendell started to argue, but Pearl raised her hand to stop him.

"I've heard all your excuses before, Michael, and year after year I've given you far too many chances to show me you've changed your ways. My opinion is not only based on what you did the other day, but what you've been doing since the day I first let you in a saddle. In truth, I'm just as much at fault for what happened on opening day as you, because I let you fly. I put you up there. I trusted you!"

Pearl paused and then looked up at Dodimayer. "I can see what the court is doing here… and I suppose I should applaud your ingenuity." Wendell glanced up at the bench with a look of worried confusion. "Don't you see, Michael?" said Pearl, motioning toward the judge. "They couldn't agree on your punishment. So they left it to me to decide, knowing full well I don't have the authority to expel or even suspend you for what you've done." Pearl's expression then turned angry. "And trust me; if it were in my power to do so, I would see you leaving Castlewood today!" Her words hit the boy like a blow delivered with the back of her hand. Michael staggered a bit, looking truly hurt. "As it is, I can only do what I will do, the only thing left within my privilege."

She paused again and took another deep breath. "Michael, as the Vollucross Steward of Castlewood Academy, I have it within my power to ban you from our noble sport, and that's what I fully intend to do." The crowd gasped.

"What?" yelled Michael, "No… please… don't! Doctor Pearl, I beg you. You can't…"

"Mr. Wendell, I do hereby ban you from the sport of Vollucross… forever!"

"No!"

"This means you will not be allowed to participate in our noble sport."

"No!"

"You will not be allowed to approach another mount in the care of any magical school."

"Please!"

"You will not be allowed to enter the stadium ever again, or watch another match. While you are here at Castlewood, you will serve detention under guard alone in your room if ever there is a match in progress. If any other Vollucross rider is caught discussing the sport with you, they themselves will be subject to the same ban. If any inquiries come to me about why this ban was placed upon you, I will personally tell them of your dishonor and disgrace. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Mister Wendell?"

Michael looked up at Doctor Pearl with tears welling in his eyes. "No… contact…?"

"BANNED!" Pearl shouted, smashing a clinched fist onto the podium. Even Captain Dunning flinched. "You tried, with malice in your heart, to kill another rider! I know some here might disagree and think my conclusions too simple, but I believe this truth with everything that I am."

"B… banned…" the boy whimpered. He stumbled back, finding his chair pressing against the back of his legs. He slowly sat down as Doctor Pearl turned again to the court.

"As I said before, the sport of Vollucross is more than what you see outside. As I tell my riders before each and every race, it is the embodiment of the traditions we hold most dear. Honor, respect for life and magic, and the principles that have been entrusted to us throughout our history. As Steward, I have sworn an oath to keep our noble sport above any individual who might seek to tear these standards down." She looked at Wendell again. "I am truly sorry, Michael. Not for the sentence I've placed upon you, but because I believe your actions have put your immortal soul in jeopardy. I can only hope that you will take the time to think about what you've done, and honestly ask yourself if you had Anna Grayson's safety first in your mind as you lowered your wand upon her. I believe you still have much to answer for, to a much greater judge than those in this court today. I will pray for you."

Wendell did not look up. He was slumped over his knees with his hands covering his head. Doctor Pearl rounded the podium, walked passed Wendell through the gates of the railing behind him, and then out the door.

"Let the record show… the sentence given…" Dodimayer said, somberly. "We're finished here."

BANG!

One by one, the crowd slowly withdrew from the room until only Michael Wendell was left sitting in his chair. After a long while, he slowly rose to his feet. "Banned…" he whispered, in a long and disbelieving drone. He turned, stumbled slightly, pushed through the gates, and then out the oak doors into the hallway. The corridors were thankfully empty as he staggered almost drunkenly down the center of the stone passageway contemplating his fate. Then, from out of the shadows, a voice called out to him.

"Tough break, ay Michael?" Wendell looked up and saw a short figure stepping from out of the darkness. It was Debbie Dunning.

"What do you want?" Wendell answered gruffly.

Debbie shrugged. "Only to say, as a fellow Defender, how sorry I am and how unjust I thought your sentence was."

"Really…? And why would you care?" he replied, turning to walk away. He took another three steps before Debbie spoke again.

"The Graysons can do pretty much whatever they please around here, knowing their daddy can always get them out of trouble." Wendell froze, but did not turn around as Debbie whined, "It's all been done before. You won't be the last person to feel that family's wrath when something displeases them."

"Mind your own business, Debbie," the boy said, still not turning to look at her.

"Fine… but tell me this, Michael. How did she look?"

Wendell spun around angrily. "How did who look?"

Debbie smiled and then stepped forward. "How did Anna Grayson look when she flew herself down to kick you in the face?"

Wendell looked puzzled. "I don't understand… what are you talking about?"

"Oh — I think you do. You might have put the thought out of your mind. At the time… you might have even thought it was a trick of the light." Debbie took another few steps toward him. "What did her face look like when she came down at you?" Wendell frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Her face, idiot, did you see her face?"

Wendell thought about it and then realized what Debbie was saying. For a moment, Michael did remember thinking he had seen something terrible in Anna Grayson's face just before she struck him during the race, and he almost remembered it again in the courtroom during his questioning. Was it anger he saw in her that day?_ Yes. _Was it determination?_ Certainly. But there was something more. What was it? _

Debbie's eyes widened. She could see Wendell's mind struggling to relive the moment. "What did you see?" Her words seemed to snap him out of a trance.

"Nothing… it was… nothing," he said, resignedly. He turned again to leave.

"She's not human, you know," Debbie blurted out, and Wendell stopped once more. "I've seen that face myself, Michael. I've seen the fangs, the soulless, black eyes. You weren't just imagining that when she kicked you in the face. She's keeping a secret, that one, maybe even from her own family, and I intend to find out what it is. I mean to see her thrown out of this school."

Wendell didn't say anything. He was still trying to focus on the face he saw coming down at him from out of the sky. Did he really see what Debbie was describing?

"I could use your help, Michael. We could help each other. We both could pay Anna back for the pain she's caused us. It would be so easy, you know."

Wendell thought about the opportunity the girl was offering him, and then he sighed. Maybe it was Doctor Pearl's words about his soul being in jeopardy that stopped him from falling further into Debbie's maniacal embrace.

"Everything they say about you is true, Debbie," he said flatly, without bothering to look back at her. He straightened, and then strode away. "I don't need or want your help, Dunning. Just… stay away from me."

Debbie scowled as she watched him leave. "Think about it… that's all I'm saying," she called out, before he turned the corner and was gone. "Coward!" she whispered angrily.

"I'll be watching you, Grayson, and when I find out what you are… I'll have you and the rest of your herd out of Castlewood for good!"

She turned and huffed away in the opposite direction. Only the flickering torches were left casting their dim glow across the stone passageway. And then another figure appeared from out of the shadows.

"You's is not going to hurt my Anna," said a tiny voice. "I is here to protect mys family, and Iz will be watching you too, missy," Gabby said angrily, snapping her fingers with a sharp spark. She waddled after Dunning, staying close to the walls and in the shadows.

TWO

Anna's eyes slowly flickered open. One would think after being unconscious for five days it would have taken her a while to remember where she was laying at that moment. She groaned. She immediately recognized the pictures of the horses on the other side of the wall. _In the hospital again_, she thought miserably, closing her eyes again. She stretched her legs and felt the residual pang of soreness in the muscles of her left leg. And then it all came back to her in an instant, the race, the fall, the forest floor, and the terrible pain. She tried to rise up, expecting another bolt of pain to stab her in the chest. It didn't happen.

"Hey you…" came a gentle voice sitting next to her. It was her sister, Tencha. "How ya feeling?"

"I… don't know," Anna grumbled, trying to clear her throat. "Hospital again, huh?" she said, looking around again.

"Fraid so." Tencha leaned over to place her hand on Anna's forehead. "Pearl said she's going to put a reserved sign on this bed for you." Anna smiled and closed her eyes again.

"Wait til daddy gets the bill. He's not going to be… happy… about this…" Anna said, groggily.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

"Uhhh-huhhhh…" Anna groaned, before drifting off to sleep again.

THREE

"Anna? Can you hear me, sweetheart?" Anna jerked awake and looked up at several people standing above her. Somebody seated on the bed leaned forward. Anna squinted, forcing her vision to clear.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, honey, how do you feel?"

Anna closed her eyes again. "Tired…" she moaned drearily. Her eyes popped open again.

"Daddy!" she shouted, trying desperately to rise up.

"Whoa… whoa. Easy now… be careful." Anna reached up frantically, grabbing at her father. They hugged each other.

"I've missed you so much…" she sobbed.

"Oh, I've missed you too, sweetheart. It's so good to see you awake again." He finally pushed her back onto her pillow. "How do you feel?"

"Okay, I guess… how long have I been sleeping?"

"Five days," Eric reported, standing with the rest of the family on the other side of the bed. Doctor Nelland, their family healer, reached in to take Anna's pulse.

"Five days!" Anna recoiled. "I've been sleeping for five days? How is that possible?"

"You were busted up pretty bad," Tencha answered. "Doctor Pearl was beside herself trying to fix you up. I don't think anybody's ever seen her so concerned."

"Vell, I am happy to say the doctor of Castlevood has had absolutely astonishing results," said Nelland, who was inspecting Anna's legs. "Doctor Pearl is von of the best I've ever met –– very, very good! Just look at Anna's legs. You vood never know how badly damaged they were."

"I'm going to be all right then, Doctor?" Anna asked, apprehensively.

Nelland covered Anna's legs with the blanket and stood back. "I do not foresee any long term problems to be concerned vith. You vill have to use a cane for a vile, until the bones in your right leg strengthen a bit more, but I think you vill be fine."

"And why not?" came a stout hearted voice somewhere behind them. Doctor Pearl was bustling over, carrying a tray of heavy flasks filled with a variety of colored liquids. "I am well read on the newest healing drafts and I have a very strong patient." Pearl set the tray down with a rattled clink and then straightened to stare at Anna. "Well now… I see you've decided to rejoin the living again, Miss Grayson. Good! Glad to see it. You'll need to take your drafts for me this morning."

"Doctor Pearl, I can't thank you enough for what you've done for Anna," said Mister Grayson. "Doctor Nelland and I both agree… Anna's recovery is nothing short of amazing." Pearl smiled proudly.

"I should not have bothered making the trip," Nelland said with a shrug.

"Thank you, Doctor," Anna said, reaching out to grip Pearl's hand. "I can't believe I survived that fall."

Pearl smiled sympathetically. "Now… don't you think on it another minute, my dear. You'll be up and flying again in no time. In fact, I'll have to ask you to make your way down to the stables at your earliest convenience. I have another patient there who hasn't come out of his state of invisibility since the accident. I'm afraid that mount of yours isn't listening to my positive reports about your recovery." The woman sighed. "He's a stubborn fool, that one." The doctor leaned down at her and grinned, "He'll be so happy to see you again." Anna smiled and nodded.

"How long will you be here, daddy?" Anna asked her father, hopefully.

"I'm afraid I'll be catching the first ship back in the morning, now that I'm convinced you're out of danger."

"Oh… so soon? But… I only just woke up, and…"

"Doctor Pearl has assured us that you will be allowed to join the family for dinner tonight," her father interrupted her, lovingly. "We'll see you then, all right? Right now, I must see the Chancellor and thank him for his hospitality."

"And you need you to finish your drafts," Pearl added, sternly.

"But daddy — please — stay with me. I want to hear about home. How are Widwick, Cookie, and Mr. and Mrs. Porchdow? What's been happening at the Ministry? What's going on with the…?"

"Later…" he interrupted. "We can catch up after you've rested. Besides…" he leaned in, narrowing his eyes to peek over in Pearl's direction, "I have learned not to get in Doctor Pearl's way over these last two days." He kissed her forehead and straightened. "I'll see you tonight." Anna looked to protest.

"Not another word, young lady," Pearl demanded. "You need your drafts, and you're already two and a half minutes late in taking them. Everybody –– out!"

"You see what I mean?" Mister Grayson said jokingly. He turned to Pearl. "Thank you again, Margaret, for everything you've done. And please, think about my offer to join us sometime during the Christmas holiday at the estate. It'll give me an opportunity to thank you properly."

"It would be my pleasure, Mister Gray…" he frowned, cocking his head reprovingly at her, "I mean… Boris," she finished, shaking his hand. She looked at Doctor Nelland and smiled. "Maybe we can pry some of that rare vintage out of his cellar again?"

"In your honor, Madam," Mister Grayson replied, kissing her on the hand. The doctor blushed.

The family filed off the hospital floor as Anna settled back in the bed and reluctantly coughed down Pearl's smoking concoctions.

FOUR

That evening was a joyous celebration. The entire Grayson family was together again for the first time in three months and they certainly were making the most of it. Mister Grayson had made prior arrangements for Sarah Bell and the rest of the Castlewood Guardians to join them for an exceptional feast. There were three new Guardians present at the table that Anna had never met before, and she was told they had been announced to the school in the days following the Vollucross race. Mister Grayson was very happy with Eric and Anna's progress in gathering so many new Guardian recruits, and the discussions throughout the evening were dominated by their future role in the Wizarding world.

Anna's father was incredibly informative to the group, thanks in part to his on-going research on the Guardians at home. By the end of the evening, everybody came to understand what the Guardians would be doing in protecting the elements of magic were far more important than just some noble cause. They began to see themselves as part of something continual and yet vitally important in its timing. These feelings were reinforced further when Mister Grayson suggested the Guardians' arrival in this period in Wizard history was not a random occurrence.

"Let me ask you all a question," Mister Grayson said to the group. He was wearing very formal robes of black trimmed with white satin. "Why do you think the Mirror of Enlightenment selected you to be Guardians?" He looked around at the faces staring back at him. Nobody seemed willing to volunteer an answer. Mister Grayson prodded them further. "Obviously, you must have thought there was something special about what you saw in the Guardians to decide to try."

"For me…" a fifth-year girl finally answered at the far end of the table, "it felt like something was missing in my old union."

"Now that sounds interesting," replied Mister Grayson straightening in his chair. "Did any of the rest of you feel that way?" Nearly all of the students raised their hands.

"It was only after I went to one of Eric's presentations that I started to see what the Guardians were doing made sense to me," added a third-year student next to the first. "The strange thing is — I wasn't surprised at all when I was selected to join them. It was almost like I expected it before I scheduled my appointment to reenter the mirror."

"Yeah… me too," said another boy. "In fact, I was so confident I would be a Guardian that I packed all my stuff before leaving to go to the mirror. It was like I knew beyond any doubt it was going to happen."

Mister Grayson thought for a moment. "I'd like to ask you another question? How did you all feel about the Triwizard Tournament?" The abrupt detour of his question seemed to surprise everybody at the table. There was a long pause of silence before somebody finally spoke.

"I thought it was terrible!" said one of the first-year Guardians.

"Terrible? What are you talking about?" said Damon impertinently. The young girl didn't back away from her opinion. In fact, she almost seemed to be waiting for the opportunity to say something about the subject.

"I mean — I thought it was abusive."

Damon frowned. "What? Abusive… how?"

Suddenly, the girl seemed to explode forward in unexpected anger. "The way they treated the dragons was disgraceful. They took nesting mothers away from their home, and hexed them for travel to England… and for what? To amuse us? I thought it was disgusting." Damon rolled his eyes as he looked back at his father. Anna and Eric looked at each other and smiled.

"I felt the same way," said another student, and several others nodded their agreement.

"How many here felt what the Ministry was doing with the dragons was in some way wrong or inappropriate?" asked Mister Grayson. All of the Guardians raised their hands, and so did Sarah Bell.

"You're kidding?" said Tencha, looking over at Dowla in surprise. Her sister shook her head and then shrugged.

"Daddy — did you feel the use of the dragons was wrong?" Dowla asked.

Mister Grayson leaned back in his chair to think. "Not necessarily. Oh… I'll admit, I think I remember feeling somewhat uncomfortable when I read about the loss of some of the eggs, but honestly, I don't think I've given it another thought since then."

"I haven't thought of anything else for the last five days," said a sixth-year girl. "It was shameful, and completely unnecessary to use those wonderful beasts the way they did."

"Wonderful beasts? Wait a minute," said Tencha, incredulously. "We're not talking about fluffy-little puppy dogs here, you know. We're talking about very big and vicious animals."

"So?"

"So, frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing them gone altogether," Damon said, finishing Tencha's thought for her.

"What?" Anna snapped. "What are you saying? That just because these creatures scare you, they should be destroyed?"

"Something like that," Damon replied with a shrug. "Yeah… why not?" There was the roar of dismay around the table directed at Damon. Watching the group's reaction, Anna couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction.

"Forgive my brother," she said, scowling back at Damon, "he's a barbarian." Damon smiled and then lifted his cup in a mocking toast back to her.

"Interesting…" repeated Mister Grayson. "Very interesting."

"What's interesting, father?" asked Eric.

"Well, it would seem many of you already had some very strong feelings about protecting magical creatures long before you ever heard of the Guardians. Tell me, how would you feel if I told you I wanted to tear down this Rotunda for the sake of building something… say… bigger, grander perhaps?"

"I'd say, great…" answered Damon, now callously trying to get a rise out of the group. "The bigger the better. Progress is a good thing, right? Maybe we should expand the Union Halls while we're at it and get more foreign students to come over from Europe."

"And I'd say, no," Eric replied ardently. "This is a special place of great historical and magical significance. If we need more room, there's plenty of unused land out on the plateau to expand. Tearing this building down doesn't make any sense."

"Here-here," agreed several others around the table.

"And what if I wanted to take the Mirror of Enlightenment with me when I left to go home tomorrow? Would you have a problem with that?" asked Mister Grayson.

"What in the world would you do with it?" asked another student in surprise.

"Oh… I don't know. I could use a bigger mirror in my bathroom when I shave in the morning. I might somehow find many ways to modify it to suit my personal needs."

"Then I'd say, no!" answered another Guardian unequivocally.

"No? And why not? Are we not wizards? Can we not undo what we ourselves have done? We made the mirror, didn't we? Can't we change it to suit our changing purposes?" Mister Grayson asked them challengingly. There seemed to be a buzzing storm building around the table with each word he was saying. Damon, Tencha, and Dowla sat astonished and confused by the group's reaction. They couldn't understand why this collection of students was roiled by their father's harmless suggestions.

Anna sat quietly, listening intently to the conversation. Although she could have been the most vocal against what her father was saying, she knew him well enough to keep silent. Every once in a while, she would catch him glancing her way, suggesting a stronger point was soon coming. If she understood him correctly, he was trying to make an impression on the group and it wouldn't be long before he revealed the true purpose of the debate.

Finally, after suggesting the Wizarding world might be better off without most of the magical objects known to them, Mister Grayson leaned back to witness an angry roar of rebuke by the entire group. Everybody at the table was getting upset. Talking at once, each seemed to be building on the emotions of those around them. Even Eric seemed shocked by his father's words. Anna watched the group's reaction in utter amazement and then sought to end the chaos. When the group took its collective breath, she finally spoke.

"Daddy… what are you doing?" Her father looked at her and slowly smiled.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" he replied casually, a relaxed look of innocence breaking free on his face. He took a sip of his tea and leaned back in his chair. His eyes seemed to sparkle with contentment.

"You don't really believe all of this stuff. What are you trying to tell us?"

Mister Grayson chuckled, and then looked at the group around him. "My apologies… for ah… turning what was supposed to be a relaxing evening into a brawl. I hope you understand I was only trying to test your resolve and… a theory."

"A theory? What do you mean, Mister Grayson?" asked one of the students. Anna's father surveyed them wonderingly, suggesting both amazement and satisfaction that something he had suspected was indeed true.

"Don't you find it interesting that you all share the same side in this debate?" They looked at him with varying levels of confusion. "You know, I've asked the same kind of questions of several test groups before coming here to Castlewood. None of them have come close to the reaction I've seen in you tonight." He stared at them, waiting for a response.

"I don't understand what you're saying, daddy," Anna replied. She looked at Eric who was smiling at their father.

Mister Grayson turned to her. "The chances of a random group holding to such similar and some would say extreme beliefs is far too great to call it a coincidence. You are of a singular mind on many things. You felt it was wrong to use the dragons in the manner in which the Ministries did during the tournament. You all fought me on the idea of changing this magical place, and modifying or doing away with some of its magical objects. My other children didn't wholly agree with your stand on these subjects," he said, motioning to the twins and to Damon.

"Hey, I didn't say I agreed with Damon about tearing down the Rotunda," Tencha answered coolly. "I just didn't think it was a big deal to use the dragons in the tournament."

"Neither did I," replied Mister Grayson with a shrug.

"What are they so concerned about?" asked Tencha, motioning to the group around the table. "I don't get it."

"Exactly! And that's my point. We're not supposed to get it, because we're not Guardians." Mister Grayson took another sip of tea. "Look… you all have so much in common in your feelings about how the things of magic are used and sometimes abused. I believe the mirror picked you to be Guardians because you already had a conservative nature on such things. The mirror didn't change you when it chose you. It chose you because of who you already were. And if you think about it, this distinction is very important in understanding and defining your mission when you leave this school. You should think seriously about your role in this mission because… frankly… I believe there is great danger here."

"Danger? What you mean, Mister Grayson?" Sarah pressed him. She suddenly looked worried.

Anna's father glanced around the table in a manner that unexpectedly made him look fearful. He sat his cup down and folded his arms. "Who here believes your answers to my absurd suggestions would have changed depending on who asked the questions?" Nobody raised a hand. "What if the Minister of Magic told you she wanted to cage every dragon known to the Wizardry world? Would you have said yes to such an idea, just because it was the Minister of Magic who suggested it?" Again, the group remained silent. "I didn't think so. And I doubt you would allow any Wizard, regardless of who it might be, to tear any part of this castle down."

His eyes darkened. "And that's what I want you to understand, because that's going to be a problem for you. It's not going to matter who it is that tries to do these things, whether you might describe them as good or evil, saints or demons, chancellors or dark wizards. All are going to feel your protest for the sake of magic. Like the sword between those two dragons we see on your Guardian crest, you could find yourself between everybody in this cause." There was a long pause, as many of the students looked around the table at each another.

"I never thought of it that way," said a young girl sitting next to Anna.

"Let me read to you something I found in my research," Mister Grayson continued. "I think this summarizes some of the concerns I have for you. It's from one of several old Ministry sources I've come to depend on in my study of the Guardians." He opened a piece of folded parchment and began to read the hand written scrawl printed on it.

_1. Thus, in the darkest days,_

_The evil sorcerer Honszoil stood unmoved,_

_And the forces of good and evil didst fight_

_In mortal combat each with the other. _

_2. Death and destruction held rule_

_O're all the lands of the world Wizard, _

_And all, calling unto itself magic,_

_Was in greatest peril true. _

_3. An observer to many battles, where wood and field _

_The innocent creations of magic contained,_

_The Guardians stood watch, _

_Sentinels to protection's cause. _

_4. Tears streaming from moving eyes,_

_The Guardians watched in horror _

_Their fathers and brothers slain; _

_By thickest red waters, mothers cry_

_Their echoed lament o're the ground, _

_Where the blood of their fruit lay gathered. _

_5. For their sister's sake, the Guardians didst weep bitterly,_

_But still they would not act. _

_They, of strongest will, stir nothing in opposition _

_To the evil joined with and against their kin, _

_Leaving unguarded and forsaken the things of magic naught._

_6. Fewest sentinels didst feel the power of Honszoil, _

_Like a sceptered herald's call, to join him on yonder blazed hill_

_And share in conquest's glory. _

_Some willed to go, to share in evil's victory, but still _

_They stood unmoved for the sake of the elements invisible. _

_7. Many ere the battles the Guardians didst fight, _

_And many in purple slain. _

_But where banners of black clashed with white, _

_Between two dragons the order and sword of magic set. _

_8. Where two armies didst collide,_

_The Guardians made three, _

_And there the protectors of magic would die battling both sides, _

_Brother against brother, father against daughter, _

_Their blood and seed destroyed, all to salvage _

_Some part of color amidst the savage chaos._

_9. And there I, their repentant leader stood, _

_Praying mercy's pardon for our inaction_

_In the greatest times of need, for killing to save,_

_And leading these brave and outnumbered souls _

_Unto the jaws of death against evil and their kin alike. _

_10. See, Father, what terrible wrongs men do _

_For the sake of greed, and in the name of justice? _

_Surely, into the pit for evil's part their souls are cast, _

_But what of the Guardians? _

_11. Those who kill to protect that which was created _

_But by thine own same loving hands? _

_What will be their fate for watching_

_Their brothers die in agony without temper to help, _

_But by the sword to end their cruel suffering?_

_12. And what of their leader? _

_He who is mindful of the Creator's gaze_

_Through his Ghost sent? _

_What punishment the soul who perverts the nature _

_Of a man's being to protect his own awaits? _

_13. If be there a pit below the lake of fire, _

_I fear but one net to enter below its never-quenched flames, _

_Where even the fetid demons dread,_

_In whose punishment turn Satan himself to vomit. _

_14. Whereon no foot may light upon the threshold _

_To such a place for none but God to see, _

_Locked with the bolts of ageless eternity, _

_Where tortured screams awaken the foulest beasts _

_In hell above their slumber. _

_15. And what name shall be etched above this door, but my own? _

_There, my name Merlin will be._

Mister Grayson finished the poem, carefully folded the parchment, and placed it in the pocket of his robes. He then looked up at the group, his lips struggling to form a smile.

"My God…" Anna said, shaking her head. "Brother against brother; father's fighting their daughters?" She looked at Eric and her father seated next to each other. "Is it all worth it?"

Mister Grayson took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that's what each and every one of you will have to ask yourselves. I wish I could sit here tonight and tell you the writings of Merlin were from different time, far removed from where we are today, but I can't help wondering why magic has brought the Guardians to us again now. I fear darker days are on the horizon. I don't mean to frighten you, but to simply warn you, and put your mind in the proper place for the sake of clear reflection. The fact is, it might seem exciting and even romantic to start a new Union, but you must be mindful of what it all means. You must consider the worst case scenario."

Mister Grayson had given them all a lot to think about that evening, and as they made their way upstairs to their beds, the Guardians were quiet, locked away with their own worried thoughts. Even Gwen, who never missed an opportunity to tell everyone how strange it was to enter the Server Hall after being an Artisan for so long, was quiet as they made their way to the fourth floor. She was now sharing a room with TJ Wangstaff across the hall from Anna and Sarah, which made for late evenings and less homework, but it was nice having Anna's best friend so close.

"Is your leg still bothering you?" Sarah asked Anna, watching her struggle up the stairs on her cane.

"Oh… just a bit. Doctor Pearl said the stiffness should go away in a couple of weeks." She was grateful to finally reach the fourth floor.

"That was some discussion we had with your father tonight, don't you think?" asked Gwen, who was waiting for them between the doors of their rooms. "Strange how all the Guardians were almost of one mind on those questions… really weird."

"Oh… I don't know," Anna shrugged. "Sarah agrees with us and she's not a Guardian yet."

Gwen smiled and looked at Sarah. "That's right; but maybe we should put that to the test. Maybe it's time Sarah walked through the Mirror of Enlightenment again? Who knows… you might be the newest Guardian in waiting."

Sarah looked at Gwen in surprise and then slowly back to Anna. "I ah…" she stammered nervously. It was obvious the thought of walking through the mirror once again was frightening to her. Anna was quick to come to her rescue.

"When you're ready, Sarah. All in good time, ay?" she said, patting her friend on the shoulder. She turned to enter their room.

"I … already did," Sarah said shyly, avoiding Anna's stunned expression for three full heartbeats before looking up.

"What? You walked through the mirror again… and you didn't tell me?" Anna said, in shocked surprise. "When did you do that?"

"A couple of days ago… I'm sorry, Anna. The mirror said I was still a Server." The little girl looked at Anna mournfully.

"Oh… well… that's… that's okay," Anna said, trying hard to avoid showing her disappointment. She always thought Sarah was her ace in the whole, a sure bet to be a Guardian if she could just summon enough courage to reenter the mirror again. Sarah's thoughts and opinions aligned so well with her own that Anna was sure it would just be a matter of time before she changed Unions. She forced herself to smile at her roommate.

"Listen… after everything we heard tonight… I'm not so sure wearing purple is a good idea for anybody." She opened the door to their room and Sarah reluctantly stepped inside. Anna looked back at Gwen with a sorrowful grimace and shrugged. She looked up at the clock above their door.

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[24]**_

_Barely half way there_, Anna thought to herself. Suddenly, getting to fifty Guardians seemed much more difficult than ever before. She followed Sarah into their room and closed the door.

FIVE

The next day, Mister Grayson was saying goodbye again to his family on the dock next to the Allegheny Pride.

"At least it'll only be three weeks this time," he said, hugging each of his children in turn.

"We'll be home before you know it, father," Eric replied, longingly.

"Considering I miss you already, I seriously doubt that." Their father smiled at them. "Remember what I told you before you left home: With my trust comes the responsibility to honor yourselves and your family. Good luck, work hard, and return safe. I'll see you in three weeks. I love you," he said somberly, gathering them once more in his outstretched arms. The family hugged each other as one before their father turned to leave.

"Take care of them for me, Gabby," Mister Grayson hollered as he lifted his robes and walked up the gangway. The Grayson house elf scampered forward.

"Ohs — yes, sir. Iz will, sir," the elf said, determinedly.

"Oh… and Eric, please pass on my apologies to Captain Dunning. Tell him I'm sorry his schedule wouldn't allow for our meeting together. Perhaps on my next visit…"

"I'll tell him, father," Eric replied, with a note of cynicism in his voice. The twins started to snicker between themselves.

"Daddy and Captain Dunning were supposed to have a meeting?" Anna said, grabbing her brother's arm. "What about?"

Eric smiled. "The good Captain thought it important to speak to our father about the disruptive behavior of the Grayson children at the school." Anna's mouth dropped.

"Yeah — but for some reason, Dunning couldn't find the time to meet with daddy in the three days that he was here," Tencha explained, grinning wickedly.

"The man's a coward!" Damon retorted.

"Dunning wanted to talk to daddy?" Anna repeated, disbelievingly.

Dowla recognized Anna's worried look and then grinned. "Yep — and it's all your fault — all because you deliberately tried to kill Michael Wendell during the race."

"WHAT?"

The rest of the children laughed and waved to their father as his ship sailed out of sight.

SIX

As Eric had predicted, the next three weeks went by quickly at Castlewood. The anxiety of the end of term finals were upon them so swiftly that most had totally forgotten they would soon be sailing home for Christmas.

But as the students worked through their remaining classes, the atmosphere at the castle slowly started to change. The voices in the corridors were a lot louder and filled with much more laughter than usual, and soon the hallways were decorated with garland and enchantments of every sort, celebrating the joy of the season. Of all the teachers, Professor Titan was the most exuberant in his application of holiday cheer. He was seen decorating nearly everything within the castle that didn't move and even some of the things that did, including the demon-like gargoyles near the Rotunda. The winged creatures screeched in protest as Titan wrapped them in gold and red-satin trim.

"Oh… simmer down," Titan scolded them, as he set Christmas candles in their claws, "it's only once a year!"

The student's nervousness soon turned to relieved excitement as the last day of testing finally arrived. All, that is, except for Sarah Bell. For a time, Sarah was convinced she would be staying behind at Castlewood over Christmas, that her family wouldn't want her to return home. Anna even considered sending an owl to her father, asking for permission to invite Sarah to the Grayson Manor over the holiday. But all of that fell away on the last day of the term.

As Anna and Sarah were leaving Titan's class, a massive eagle owl suddenly appeared, zooming up the corridors toward them. Several of the students yelped and had to duck below the owl's outstretched wings, which seemed to fill the entire hallway. Anna smiled amusingly at the approaching bird and raised a forearm hoping to get a closer look. To her surprise, the owl abruptly tilted back and flapped down upon her wrist. Anna beamed with delight.

"Wow… he's a lot heavier than he looks," she said, untying the small envelope from his foot.

"No owl deliveries in the corridors, Grayson," warned a Laborer Knight from the other side of the hall.

"Sorry…" Anna replied, looking at the letter. "It's for Sarah Bell," she said, frowning. "It says, _Chancellor Post_?"

The Knight looked skeptical as she walked over to them. "Let me see that," she said, curtly. She took the envelope and studied it closely, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "Wow… only the most important dispatches are allowed to carry that post mark. It means the Chancellor has given special permission to have it delivered directly to you inside the school. I hope it isn't bad news," she said, handing the letter to Sarah.

Sarah took the envelope and looked at her roommate. "Open it…" Anna said, excitedly. Sarah did, and began to read through the handwritten pages. Moments later, Anna could see tears spilling down her friend's cheeks as she turned the final page over to read the back. Finally, she looked up at Anna and smiled.

"I'm… going home… home for Christmas," she said disbelievingly.

"That's great! Is… everything all right?" Sarah wiped her eyes and nodded happily. Anna hugged her, and was surprised when Sarah placed the letter in her hand to read.

_Dear Sarah, _

_I hope this letter reaches you. A huge owl showed up at our house this morning, carrying a letter from your Chancellor. It was nice of Professor Thordarson to take the time to send us a message about you. He told your mother and me how well you've been doing at school this year, and wanted to invite us to visit you since he thought you might be staying in Pennsylvania over the holiday. _

_Thordarson's letter described your life there and how you've managed to find so many new friends. He said he was proud of the way you were able to travel to school on your own, and find your way so well since your arrival. His letter reminded me of the little girl I once knew before all of these changes began to happen in our lives. It made me realize how much I truly miss you and how stupid I've been in sending you away. The Chancellor has taken the time to fully explain your gifts to us, and how there might be a simple way to keep you from vocalizing your dreams while you sleep. It seems everything can be managed in a way that makes you and the family comfortable. _

_Sarah, I can't really explain why I reacted the way I did after what happened. It was probably fear of my own mortality that drove me to push you away. I am truly sorry now for hurting you the way I did, and can only hope that you will forgive me. I've told the Chancellor that your mother and I won't be coming to Castlewood, because we were hoping that you will decide to come home to be with your family over Christmas. I hope you'll think about it, because your mother and I miss you dearly. Please come home to us. I need to see my lovely baby-girl again. _

_Love, Daddy_

Anna handed the pages back with tears in her eyes. "That's a beautiful letter," she said to Sarah with a smile. Her roommate sniffed and nodded, placing the envelope lovingly inside the cover of one of her books.

"Is everything all right, Miss Bell?" asked the Laborer Knight who was watching her.

Sarah wiped her eyes and looked up. "Everything is wonderful," she said happily. "I'm going home for Christmas."

SEVEN

Soon, the weather on the plateau turned cold and windy. It howled like wolves around every corner of the castle, and the windows shook from the ebbing pressure outside. The days were gray and brisk as lakes of formless clouds passed indistinguishable in the skies overhead. Everything in the forest seemed to be bracing itself for winter's touch, and soon the talk of snow was in the air.

Anna had never experienced a white Christmas, and she longed to see the snow before leaving Castlewood. Her Southern California home was known for its warm beaches and beautiful weather, and although she yearned to return to her father, the images of a traditional white Christmas were always prayerfully on her mind. Sure enough, on the day before their departure, the Pennsylvania Mountains surrounding Spellsburg were covered in thick blankets of white and carolers everywhere were gathering in song.

As if by appointment, Anna met her brothers and sisters outside, and soon Gwen, TJ, and Sarah Bell were taking part in Anna's first snowball fight. Once Sarah had shown her the correct method for packing and perfect ball, Anna was wickedly hurling snow at nearly anybody who moved.

The yelling and laughter lasted all afternoon as several friends who came to join the fun were quickly chased out of sight with pelting waves of snow. The flow of the battle gave its attention to each of the Graysons in turn, as alliances were made and quickly broken, depending on whom they thought looked too dry. Anna was ruthless in her approach, not realizing until it was too late that such battles didn't end until all had received their fair share in retaliation. She finally learned this lesson when the words, "Get Anna!" finally rang out over the plateau, and she was rudely chased down, pummeled with snowballs, and buried outside the city gates. It was more fun than Anna could have ever imagined. Soon they were staggering back, cold and soggy toward the drawbridge, and looking forward to steaming mugs of hot chocolate. They stopped only to watch the grindylows in the moat, who were glaring hungrily up at them through the ice, and the rest of the evening was spent sitting by the tower fires reliving the afternoon's fun.

The next day, their trunks were packed and magically moved down to the ship waiting to take them home. Anna was late in arriving on the dock due to her insistence that she stop at the stables to check on Swooper one last time. It had taken her a full week to convince him to come out of his depressed state of invisibility again. After insuring he understood she would return after the Christmas break, Anna finally headed down the tram and boarded the ship.

In short order, the students were sailing through Neptune's Veil aboard the Allegheny Pride and looking forward to the fleet of little boats that would finally take them home. Three hours later, the cold weather had given way to tropical sunshine and colored birds, and soon the Graysons were leaving Loon's Lagoon aboard the BB-5 with Reye at the helm. Anna was wearing the mate's hat and running about the boat to the Captain's shouted orders.

"Look alive there, Miss Grayson. Stow that gear properly, or you'll find your bloomers full of wet before they see the next port!"

"Aye, Captain," Anna laughed. Eric smiled as he watched his sister hustling about the boat, seeing to the details for keeping them under way.

Before long, they were entering the marina and unloading their trunks for the drive home. Leaning on each other, the twins were holding their churning stomachs while Damon whined rudely that he would never again get on a boat captained by Reye. Gabby, who was unable to swim, had disappeared during the trip, but was soon found hiding below deck and praying for dry land.

Anna hugged Reye. "Take care, Captain. We'll see you in two weeks," she said, giving his hat back to him.

"Ahh… and you'll be a fine sight for these tired eyes to see, Anna," the old man said, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. Whispering into her ear, he said, "And make sure yer daddy doesn't forget about his old pal on the leg out, ay?"

Anna laughed. "I'll be sure to remind him to send what keeps the Captain's heart warm, sir," she said with a giggle. The man smiled as he watched her turn and head toward the waiting cars.

"Merry Christmas!" he bellowed at them happily. "Ah… there ain't no finer mate in any man's Navy," he whispered to himself as he watched Anna leave, "none finer anywhere."

The drivers helped the Graysons load their trunks into the cars and before long they were heading off. An hour later, the cars were pulling into the iron gates of the Grayson estate. Anna looked out the window at the galloping ornaments and smiled. She was finally home.

170


	33. Christmas Magic

Chapter 33d29 – Christmas Magic

Chapter 33

Christmas Magic

ONE

Christmas at the Graysons: For those who knew the family for many years, it was something they looked forward to by special invitation. For Anna, it was always a magical time long before she knew of the workings of witches or wizards. It was the time of year when everything in their busy lives finally seemed to slow and take into account their many blessings, and for the first time in her life Anna found herself wanting for nothing. Her dreams of going to Castlewood had come true. She had made several new friends and revived her friendship with Gwen; she had discovered more about her mother in the last few months than in all of her years before; she was with her father and her family, and she was home. It was more than enough.

Still, there was a strange longing left in her heart after her fall in the Shadowed Forest. Like a lost-love unforgotten, she found herself aching for something far off and unattainable. It was the lullaby that had brought these deep feelings of desire out of her; the mysterious, soft hum in her mind she first remembered hearing while recovering in the hospital. It had come to her several times since then, invading her sleep like a gentle haunting. The voice was familiar, the words echoing and tender, as if sung from some lonely and deserted heart. As troubling as the song was to her, Anna always longed to hear it again in the moments before dropping off to sleep, and found her spirit continually disappointed at the dawn if it did not come.

In the years going back as far as Anna could remember, Christmas Eve was celebrated in the stone chapel on the Grayson estate. The interior of that holy place, half buried like a grotto, was different in its setting and decoration every year, but always beautiful. Mister Grayson never trusted these holiday preparations to Widwick or Gabby, but insisted the details be left to him alone. There was always a steady buildup of anticipation in the children as they watched their father leave to prepare the chapel in the mornings leading up to Christmas. Inevitably, each of them would take a turn trying to sneak undetected into the site with the hope of stealing some preview of his joyous work. However, they never succeeded. One by one, each would be caught creeping toward the chapel only to be chased off with ruthless dispatch by the most powerful wizard on the mountain.

This Christmas would be no different; only the children's level of cunning and determination had changed. They decided to band together this year, equating their plans for conquest in much the same way Professor Van Doorn had defined success in a mountaineering expedition: the success of one meant victory for all.

Eric believed an act of distraction might lead to their getting one of them inside the chapel before the allotted time, and so the children set to work. While Eric and Anna kept their father busy on the other side of the mountain, searching for the family Christmas tree, the other children made their way through the woods in three different directions and then circled back to converge on the chapel. Their strategy had worked to perfection, and by the time the Christmas tree was standing upright in the Grayson family room, Eric and Anna were smiling gleefully in anticipation of their siblings' success.

Suddenly there were flustered screams of panic at the kitchen door and the sound of approaching footsteps. Eric and Anna stood and stared in stunned amazement as Tencha and Dowla burst into the family room howling at the top of their lungs. There were thin, root-like tentacles protruding out of their cheeks and welts like woody knots bulging from their neck and foreheads. Anna covered her mouth in shock, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Look at us!" Tencha yelled. "I'm turning into a shrub!"

"Daddy, what is this? Make it stop… make it stop!" hollered Dowla, who started to sprout a leafy branch from one of her nostrils.

"Oh dear…" Mister Grayson said in mocked surprise. "What could you have possibly done to cause this?"

"It was you!" Dowla screamed, stomping her foot in frustration. "I saw you near the chapel — hexing us from behind that tree!"

Their father looked taken aback. "I…? But I wasn't there, my dear," he said in a faked put-upon voice. "As you can see –– I was tending to the joys of Christmas." He pointed to the large tree standing in the corner, still wet from the morning cold.

"It was you!" Tencha yelled, pointing an accusing finger.

There was another bang as the front door burst open and the family could hear Cookie cackling with delight in the next room. "What in tar-nation happen'd to ya, boy?" laughed the ghost. "You look a might light on yer feet. Ha-ha-ha-ho-ho-ha, snort."

There was something of glass crashing, and a series of bumping-thumping sounds traveling through the hallway. Mister Grayson quietly sat down in his favorite chair by the fire without a care, it seemed, to ascertain the reason for the commotion in the next room. Then the doorway was unexpectedly filled by Damon who was floating like a balloon across the threshold with a look of stress-filled pain on his face. He reached out to grab the knob of the door with one hand and the underside of the table nearest him with the other, and then used both to pull his hovering feet down to the floor. He seemed to be ducking and twisting his head around, trying to avoid something buzzing madly over his shoulder. He released the table to swat at the thing and instantly found himself rising off the floor again.

"What in the world?" shrieked Anna, cupping her cheeks in disbelief.

"Would you please…" Damon sneered contemptuously, "get this thing away from me?" Struggling himself to the floor once more, he made another angry swipe at a tiny, creature-like insect buzzing like a small bee above his head. The little pest was a vivid blue, about an inch in length, with minute wings attached to the top of its head that spun in a whizzing blur. It darted over one ear to avoid Damon's swat, zoomed around his nose, and then turned to zip into his neck. It gave off a loud _fizzzz _as it struck.

"Ouch!" Damon cried out, smacking himself on the neck again. The moment he was stuck, Damon's feet began to rise off the floor once more.

"What is it?" yelled Tencha, pulling away the growing roots to the side of her face so she could look out.

"It's a billywig," Eric said, amusingly. He looked at his father and smiled.

"Is it, now…?" Mister Grayson said, looking at Damon in false surprise. "Well… I wonder where that came from. You know, it's said that billywigs are native to Australia, but there have been stories about them guarding magical places against trespassers when enticed with the proper food and habitat." He grinned amusingly. "Their sting is said to cause uncontrollable levitation."

"Ouch!" Damon was still swatting at the little creature whose propeller-like wings were spinning its body like a top. Damon's feet began to hover once more. He made a grab at the doorknob again, missed, and began to float toward the ceiling, hitting his head with a dull thud on one of the beams. The menacing little billywig, spinning and buzzing angrily, continued to chase after him.

"Nasty little devils, aren't they?" said their father, who started to crack under the pressure of holding in his amusement. The children started to giggle as Mister Grayson's serious façade completely broke down.

"Get me down!" Damon roared, angrily.

Slapping Eric on the back and laughing, Mister Grayson pointed at Damon bobbing up and down against the ceiling, "It would seem your brother is in for a very happy Christmas after all."

"Why would you say that?" asked Eric, trying with all his might not to laugh at his brother.

Their father leaned in. "Well… another side effect of the billywig's sting is uncontrollable fits of giddiness." Mister Grayson looked up at Damon again and smiled. "He might look angry now… but he should be properly merry within the hour." The family suddenly erupted into irrepressible howls of laughter.

TWO

Christmas Eve was everything the children had expected it would be - wonderful. At eleven o'clock and wearing their best holiday robes, the family made their way down the wooded path toward the chapel, each carrying a simple candle that seemed magically oblivious to the biting evening breeze. Widwick lead the group. He was dressed in a shortened red jumper and hose, and covered in a white outer garment that belonged to his father and his grandfather before him. He carried a gnarled staff of wood, which he used as a walking stick. Gabby was following the family in a white dress and matching leggings. Cookie floated far behind, looking back and grumbling aloud about having to leave the house _unguarded_. The closer they came to the chapel, the more the path in front of them brightened by the light of tiny pixies and forest fairies. Along the way, they were met by the Porchdow family with two of their nine children who had come to visit their parents for the holiday.

"Merry Christmas, Samuel," said Mister Grayson, shaking the stable master's hand.

"And to you, sir. You remember my son John and my daughter Emile, of course," Mr. Porchdow said, motioning to his children.

"Of course. We're so happy you could join us. It's wonderful to see you again. Edith, you look absolutely stunning tonight." Mrs. Porchdow smiled broadly in her satin robes of powder blue, and returned Mister Grayson's compliment with a formal dip of thanks.

Several ghosts singing _Silent Night_ joined them as they continued down the path, and when the chapel finally came into view, everyone gasped in surprise. The structure seemed almost alive with tongues of flame, silver, and gold, outlining the stone archway above the entrance. The front doors were open, emitting rays of heavenly light from within, and when they finally entered everybody agreed Mister Grayson had outdone himself as never before in all the years past.

What looked like a simple stone structure pushed into the side of the hill from the outside, opened into a magnificent cathedral within. Portraits from both the Grayson and Porchdow families lined the walls, filled with happy faces waving excitedly down at them. Fairy light filled the ceiling above, filling the room with a golden radiance. Twisted garland was wrapped around marble pillars strung with glass. The bobbles were filled with colored flame that winked and sparkled as far as the eye could see. There were tapestries depicting scenes of miracles past, and saintly statues lit with a brilliance that only the fairies could provide. A white alter sat to the front of the church below an ornate cross of gold. A large marble fireplace was set to the inside of the entranceway, emitting flames of emerald green that bloomed with a WHOOSE as wizards and witches came forward to join the midnight celebration. The Grayson children fell in line next to their father and shook hands with everybody who entered the magnificent church.

"Merry Christmas, Daniel," said Mister Grayson to a stout man dressed in magnificent robes of red and gold. The man's wife had her arm looped in his as they entered, and Anna could hear her gasp in surprise when she looked up into the space around them.

"Oh Boris… how marvelous," the woman whispered, touching his arm.

A flash of green behind them blazed hot as another couple stepped into the church. A tall witch with silver hair and a dazzling gown with red and gold embroidery, stepped across the hearth holding her husband's hand. Anna heard Damon gasp this time, and then saw him bump Eric toward the couple. Eric looked at him and smiled back eagerly. The woman shook Mister Grayson's hand and then motioned him toward her husband next to her. Mister Grayson then casually turned to his family.

"These are my children," he said, proudly. "Eric, Damon, Tencha, Dowla and my youngest, Anna." The woman bowed to them respectfully, before locking her eyes upon Anna.

"Such a lovely family, Boris," she said, still staring at the youngest Grayson.

"Attention Graysons," their father barked, "I would like to introduce the Minister of Magic, the gracious Helawena Barkelnap." Anna's mouth dropped. _The Minster of Magic?_ She began to nervously smooth her robes as the Minister made her way down the line, shaking each of the children's hands in turn. "And her husband," Mister Grayson continued, "the Director and American Representative to the International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bernard Barkelnap."

"Good to see you again, Boris. Merry Christmas to you and your family," said Mr. Barkelnap jovially.

The Minister of Magic stepped in front of Anna. "So, I understand from speaking to your father that you have started your studies this year at Castlewood." Anna was taken aback. She hadn't expected to speak to the Minister of Magic.

"Uh… yes, ma'am," she replied simply. She looked at her father who was beaming with pride.

"Are you fully recovered then from your recent injuries?" asked the Minister. Anna was almost struck dumb.

"My — what? Ohhh… yeah… I mean… yes, ma'am. I am, thank you."

"Oh, Boris. She is so lovely. The perfect image of Victoria," the Minister said, giving Anna's chin the slightest pinch.

Anna almost gasped out loud as the woman turned to gather in her husband. _She knew Victoria Grayson? She knew my mother?_ Anna almost reached out thinking to ask, but the Minister was soon surrounded by a number of Ministry officials who were all trying to escort her down the center isle to a seat next to them.

As the midnight hour approached, the Christmas service finally began. There was a choir dressed in satin robes of white, singing the holiday favorites in Latin. A ghost named Friar Dannon was wrapped in a hooded robe and delivered the readings to the assembly, and then a sermon on the brotherhood of man –– Wizard and Muggle alike.

At the end of the evening, the family bid their visitors farewell and then returned to the manor filled with an exuberance that only Christmas could bring. They stayed up late into the morning decorating the Christmas tree before resigning themselves to a few hours of sleep before the dawn.

As the morning sun cleared the eastern rise, the family was awakened again by the manor portraits singing _Hark the Harold Angels Sing_, and before the last stanza had echoed its way through the house, the Graysons were together again in the family room adding their voices in song.

Soon, they were grabbing at the gifts under the tree, and wildly ripping at their wrappings. Anna opened a large box from Eric, which contained a complete volume set of the writings of Merlin. She noticed one of the books with a marked page and opened it to a chapter on the Guardians. She looked at Eric and smiled.

"I get dibs after you," he said, with a grin.

The twins had gone together this year, and gave Anna a beautiful black evening cloak with a purple velvet collar and extra pockets in the lining. "If you have to wear that awful purple color, you might as well try and be a bit more stylish," Tencha bristled, appraisingly. Anna thanked them. If for nothing else, she did envy her sister's excellent taste in clothing, something she refused to acknowledge to anybody in public. Holding up the cloak, she considered herself lucky. It was much better than the terrible pink sweater they had given her the year before. Anna watched in amusement as the twins hugged each other for the earrings they had bought for themselves and given to one another to wrap.

"Ohhh, you have such wonderful taste!" they sang in unison.

Damon had given Anna another book. _The Proper Way to Duel__, _by Wandella Spellish. At least Damon had finally accepted the fact that Anna was in the dueling club to stay. As she paged through the book's chapter on proper stances, Mister Grayson sat next to her and pushed a small box under her gaze. The box was wrapped in silver paper and a sparkle-red bow.

Anna looked up and grinned. "What's this?" she cooed, eagerly.

"Something very special I wanted you to have," he replied in a rather mysterious tone. He leaned back to pick up his tea, and then peered apprehensively at her over its rim as he sipped. Anna knew that look well. This _was_ going to be something special. She carefully unwrapped the gift and found a wooden box sitting neatly in the palm of her hand. Eric noticed the package immediately.

"I'd watch out if I were you, Anna. You know what Father's 'little boxes' can sometimes do," he said, with a chuckle. Anna smiled and opened the lid. Inside, she found a simple cross of gold with a green emerald mounted in its center.

"Oh, daddy…" Anna lifted the delicate chain from the box, "it's beautiful." She held the adornment up to the window and could see the light reflecting into her eyes through the back of the gem. It was dazzling. She hugged her father. "It's really very lovely." Her father held her tight in his arms.

"It belonged to your mother," he said, setting her back and taking the chain from her hand. "Here, let me…" he whispered, undoing the fragile clasp and holding it up to her. Anna stared at him in disbelief, and then turned to pull her hair away from her neck where he carefully connected the two ends back together. Anna gazed down at the cross of gold in marveled wonder. Tiny whispers began to sing unnoticed through her mind as she studied the simple gilding and beaded stone.

"Your mother always said next to her faith and her family this was her most cherished possession. I wanted to wait until you could fully appreciate what it meant to her before passing it on." Her father looked longingly at the necklace as if unsure he wanted to let it go. Anna took his hands in hers and pressed them lovingly against her cheek.

"Thank you, daddy. I know how much it must mean to you. I'll wear it, always."

He softly stroked her hair and nodded. "It looks beautiful on you. It matches your eyes."

The rest of the day was spent laughing and remembering the many holidays past. As always, Uncle Sarasil joyfully retold the story of their father's fifth Christmas when he was caught sneaking out of bed in an attempt to steal an early peek at his presents. Apparently, their grandfather had sent him screaming back up the staircase with his buttocks in flames.

Two days later, Doctor Pearl joined the family for dinner and allowed Mister Grayson the opportunity to lavish his praise upon her under several raised glasses of his finest wine. Even in her giggling-tipsy state, the good doctor was able to confirm Mister Grayson's admiration well placed when she was able to brew an anti-billywig concoction to relieve Damon of his barking fits of laughter.

The celebration continued to draw old friends to the estate throughout the remaining days of the holiday, and Anna and her father spent their evenings looking through the family archives and pictures. A wedding day photograph of her mother and father confirmed why everybody kept saying Anna looked so much like Victoria. It was uncanny. The moving photographs made Anna feel like she was watching an older version of herself in some happy future yet to come.

When Anna asked her father about the comments the Minister of Magic had made about her mother, she was surprised by his reply.

"Because the Minister is… your mother's aunt," he said, informatively. "Her maiden name was Helawena Meliflua, your Grandmother's sister." Mister Grayson's eyes rolled up to think, "I guess that makes you… the Minister's grand niece." Her father laughed as Anna's mouth dropped. "If I remember correctly, your grandmother used to call her sister Helen most of the time. The Minister married very late in life, and had no children of her own. She kind of adopted Victoria after your grandmother passed away. Victoria used to stay with Helen in England during her summer breaks away from Castlewood. This was long before Helen became the American Minister of Magic, of course. She used to hold the Director's post in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and was our acting ambassador to England at that time."

"Isn't that the post Mr. Barkelnap holds now?" Anna asked him.

"That's right. In fact, that's where Helen first met Bernard. Clever boy, old Bernie, always knew how to take advantage of the obvious opportunities surrounding him," her father chuckled. "He married quite well, wouldn't you say?"

THREE

The next day, Anna and Apollo reached the Jennings' ruins just as the sun was making its final decent below the distant horizon. The evening clouds were purple with subtle hues of bright pink blushing against the remaining sky. The smell of the old house reminded Anna of a smoldering campfire. The sharp smell of latent smoke was always heavy during the wet weather.

Anna slid down the side of Apollo's saddle to the spongy ground and dropped his reins. She patted the horse on the neck and gave him a hug. "I really missed you, you know…" she told him lovingly. Apollo raised his head to lip her on the forehead and she giggled as she pushed him away. She turned around and walked over to the foundation; its charred and massive beams lay at odd angles among the stones. _So this was my mother's home… the Jennings' family estate, _she thought, reaching out to touch one of the burnt timbers.

"Careful there…" came a voice behind her. She looked around and saw her father crouching low under some branches to enter the clearing on his favorite stallion he liked to call Catahecassa. Anna smiled. She loved seeing her father mounted on a horse. To her, he almost looked regal, like some honored knight making his protective rounds. "The foundation there is very weak," he warned, lowering himself to the ground. He walked his black horse next to Apollo and casually dropped his reins. The two stallions barely seemed to notice each other as they dipped to sample the wet grass.

"Well — well," Anna chimed brightly. "Look who's taking the time to enjoy a ride!" Her father grinned. "You look good in the saddle, handsome knight. You must allow yourself these pleasures of the spirit a little more often."

Stepping over a mound of muddy ash, her father shrugged. "Believe it or not, I've been riding a lot more since you left."

Anna frowned back at him. "So… I leave… and then you ride? Makes it kind of difficult for somebody to ride with you, doesn't it?"

Her father gave her a somber smile as he reached over to put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just say, I've missed you desperately. Sometimes a father doesn't realize how much he's neglected his children until they're away." He looked back at his horse. "Cat helps me to remember our time together." Anna smiled and gave him a hug. She loved her father very much.

"So… what are you two doing up here so late?" he asked, looking around. "It'll be dark soon."

Anna gazed into his questioning eyes. "I found out this was my mother's house," she said, looking back into the ruins again. Her father frowned and then released her. "Professor Titan told me at school," Anna explained.

"I didn't realize… you never knew," her father replied, sadly. He grimaced. "Then again… how could you have known, since I've been such an idiot in not talking about your mother or her family?" He looked pensively at the charred remains. "You should have seen the place, Anna. In its day, it was absolutely beautiful. It was much older and a lot bigger than our home." He raised his hands in front of his face to form a frame, and began to peer through his fingers with a critical eye. "It had very strong architectural links to the old country." He dropped his hands and looked at her. "It was the only house I've ever seen that I liked better than the Grayson estate."

Anna reached out and broke off a pieced of burnt wood. "There's something about this place that's special to me." She looked up at her father. "Something draws me to it… like… I belong here." Her father smiled.

"Really?" he said, intrigued. "I'm really happy to hear that."

"Why's that?"

Her father looked at the ruins again and took a deep, sighing breath and then shook his head. "You're all growing up so fast. I suppose it's natural for a parent to wonder how much time he has left with his children before they leave to make their own way in the world." He looked at Anna and grinned. "It would make my heart sing to know you might someday live here." Anna was stunned.

"Are you saying… that might be possible?"

"Of course. This _is_ the site of your ancestral home. You are the last in the Jennings' line. It makes sense that you should eventually take control of the site." His eyes bored into her. "And what would the last of the Jennings do with this piece of land if given the opportunity?"

Anna quickly looked at the toppled chimneys, the scattered stone and rubble. She peered up at her father again and a startling blaze erupted in her eyes. "I would rebuild it!" she said, determinedly. Her father straightened, almost glowing with pride.

"Would you now? It would probably cost your entire inheritance and then some," he said coolly, as if testing her resolve.

Anna smirked. "I never thought about an inheritance. But if true…" she stopped to stare into the ruins again, "it would be worth it."

"All right then, when the time is right, I'll do everything I can to help you make your future home what it once was."

Anna brightened. "You promise?" she said, grabbing him by his robes.

He smiled down at her and nodded. "But, in all fairness, I should tell you I have my own selfish reasons for helping you do this," he said, firmly.

"Oh… and what's that?"

He paused, looking at her with an ambitious determination stealing over his face. "Isn't it obvious? If I help you build your home here… we'll always be together. It would be a father's dream come true." Anna blushed. "And… I couldn't think of a better neighbor to have, Miss Grayson," he said, in a serious tone. He stepped back and reached out to shake her hand, as if committing the two of them to the deal.

"Nor can I, Mister Grayson," she said, confidently. He pulled her roughly to him and they both laughed.

"I'm going to head back down for dinner. Are you coming?"

"Not yet. I want to brush Apollo and this might be my last chance. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Not too late," he warned, tapping her gently on the nose. She smiled and nodded. He walked over to his horse, took the reins, and with a tired groan he saddled himself. Turning toward the gap in the trees, he said, "I'm going to hold you to your promise, Anna Grayson. Good neighbors are so hard to find these days."

Anna laughed as she watched him gig his horse and trot out of sight. Delighted beyond belief, she looked back at the ruins and smiled. "I can't believe it! Some day… the Jennings Manor will rise again. And I'll live here –– next to my father!"

A few minutes later, Anna was galloping wildly through the woods. As much as she loved riding Swooper, deep down her heart still belonged to Apollo. His gentle thumping stride was like a drug to an addict's body as he moved with ease through the familiar pathways of the Grayson estate. His canter was effortless and casual compared to that of flying on a great winged horse.

They finally skidded to a stop in front of the stables and Anna jumped down. She removed Apollo's saddle, found her grooming kit, and lovingly set to work with her cleaning chores. She grabbed her currycomb and, with a practiced side-to-side motion, began to brush Apollo's coat, stopping occasionally to knock the dirt off of the tool on the sole of her boot. When she finished, she switched to a softer brush and expertly swept over his body with short snapping strokes, penetrating his coat down to the skin.

"How does that feel, boy?" she cooed fondly. Apollo shuddered, quietly enjoying his long-awaited brushing. Anna finally moved to her favorite finishing brush, and then started the process over again until Apollo's coat bloomed with a uniform glow. She worked on his tail against her inner leg, brushing out the tangles, starting at the tip and working her way up. It was, in Anna's mind, every bit a labor of love.

After cleaning his hooves, Anna set Apollo in his stall and, waving goodbye to Mr. Porchdow, she headed up the darkened path toward the mansion. The light of the full moon penetrated the winter-thin leaves straight to the ground as far as the eye could see. The scene made Anna smile. As much as she liked living at Castlewood, it was wonderful to be in the familiar forests of her home again. There was a wooded aroma here that didn't exist in Spellsburg or in the Shadowed Forest.

She continued up the hill until she came upon a fork between the moonlit trees. The left path would take her up the final bend toward the house; the right cut a trail deep into the forest below. Anna turned left and had barely taken two full steps when she stopped. She turned back and looked down the other path, frowning and cocking her head as if to listen for something absent to somehow repeat itself. A strange feeling began to descend over her body. Something was out there, but at the same time she somehow knew that whatever it was hadn't actually arrived yet. She squinted, peering appraisingly through the gloom.

"What is that…?"she mumbled, listening hard for anything strange or unexpected. She unconsciously stepped into the right fork.

As she walked, Anna concentrated on the trail in front of her, twisting into the darkness like a serpent between her feet. There was a recognizable presence all around her, everywhere. It was the strong and familiar feeling she had felt twice before at Castlewood, when she thought something unseen had been watching her. It was an eerie haunting, like a stranger's face staring out from a passing train. Then, with a sudden jerk, she felt the train stop. Anna stopped too, carefully looking for whatever might be lurking in the dark to step out. She could almost feel the energy emanating from the darkness, a surge of something powerful pressing every hair on her body against the grain. Whatever it was_… it was close… very close, _andAnna suddenly found herself feeling terribly vulnerable.

And then, what seemed as nothing more than vague existence scattered throughout the forest began to converge. It was as if the thing suddenly realized that Anna knew of its presence. It was coming together from all around her, and Anna quickly headed in the direction she knew it would eventually appear. Her quickened pace abruptly turned into a jog, as her mind located the exact spot she knew the thing would be. Rejecting all caution, she began pelting through the trees with a strange and eager hope of one not wishing to miss something vital to her being.

As she ran, a soft buzzing began to signal in the back of her brain. _Just on the other side of those trees,_ she thought, ducking under another branch and then leaping over a fallen tree. The buzzing in her head was now growing into a high pitch wail. _Right there… it'll be right there._ She flew around another tree just as the wail turned into a scream – a warning. Without thinking, something made her reach back and grab a branch just as the ground beneath her dropped away. Anna screamed. Frantically reaching up with her other hand to grab the limb again, she found herself dangling in midair over a rocky precipice. Panicking, she looked into the abyss below her and could see the ocean crashing into the jagged and moonlit rocks covered in glowing foam. She had run straight off the edge of the cliff.

"Oh my God!" Anna screamed, looking up again to check the strength of the limb above her. She wheeled about desperately searching for something else to grab and found another branch near her knees. She threw her legs around it and then looked down once more. The surf smashing into the base of the cliff was joined by a howling wind traversing up the face of the wall. Her horrified mind was screaming, _How could I have been so stupid?_

She thrashed her body around to look back at the tree. Its many branches were stretched out before her, like a wanting mother fearful for its child. The base of the tree was anchored precariously between two massive boulders set into the side of the cliff. Anna had never had been afraid of heights, but now she felt terrified, hanging haplessly over the cold blackness below her. She thought of her wand. _What would I do?_ _What spell could I use to save myself if I fall?_

Anna tried to take in a calming breath and then, summoning all of her remaining courage, she began to move one hand over the other, back toward the cliff and praying she wouldn't find something wet under her grip.

When she felt close enough to consider swinging herself to safety, she suddenly became aware of the presence she had sensed earlier was now taking visible form. Threads of luminous light were approaching from all directions and gathering themselves over the cliff's edge in front of her. She immediately knew what it was before she heard it spitting its recognizable hiss.

"Ssssssssssssssss," the thing sizzled angrily, and the remaining blood in Anna's tired arms swiftly drained out. It was the thing calling itself the ally. Anna moved quickly, already deciding in which direction to run before she flopped down on the wet dirt near the cliff's edge and dashed behind the trunk of the nearest tree. She cautiously peeked around to watch the thing transforming into a humanoid outline of radiating coldness that pulsated in a white-dazzling glow. Anna looked behind her through the forest, mapping within her mind the quickest path back to the house. The last time she had seen this thing, it had threatened her in a manner she just as soon not have repeated. She decided on the best direction to escape and was slowly starting to back away when the ally spoke to her.

"So, Guardian, have you prepared yourself for the battle to come?"

"Get away from me!" Anna shouted, stumbling back as the phantom began to glide through the air toward her. It crossed over the cliff's mossy edge, a narrow band of pallid energy following her through the trees. What seemed as nothing more than a token outline of some human form was now evolving into something much more detailed as it finally touched down upon the earthen path.

"Fear not, Sithmaith, we are allies against the approaching chaos," it said, benevolently, reaching out with both arms as if contemplating an embrace. Anna was having none of it.

"I said, get away! You attacked my father! I want you to leave me and my family alone!" she screamed, whipping out her wand and pointing it at the thing. The apparition stopped and then slowly dropped its arms. To Anna's surprise, its reply contained a sorrow-filled tone of sympathy and remorse.

"I… grieve…" it said, painfully.

Anna frowned but did not drop her wand. She peered at the figure appraisingly, watching the light twisting itself into a more solidified form. She could see its features becoming thinner, more distinct around its edges within the light surrounding it. The thing looked much frailer than it did before, tall and thin, a woman. Anna's eyes widened. _The mirror said the ally was a woman… a murdered woman._ Anna's curiosity was erupting forward. She wanted to understand who this person was and what had happened to her. The apparition slowly turned and walked back to the cliff's edge where it folded its arms, as if bracing itself against the cold wind. It stared almost fearfully at the jagged rocks below.

Anna lowered her wand and stepped forward. "Why did you attack my father?" The ally did not respond. It seemed almost lost in the view below her. Anna could hear the sound of the waves pummeling the rocks as they crashed forward and then pulled back. She cautiously took another step closer. "You said magic sent you to help me, but how can you help me… if you continue to attack my father, or my brothers and sisters?" In a blur of brightened light, the thing suddenly turned to face her.

"I would never harm the children!" it said in an appalled and echoing voice. The ghost began to walk toward her again. Anna could see the face of the thing clearing now, its features becoming distinct and more refined. Anna's mouth dropped in disbelief; she knew that face. She had seen it before in her home, in a painting inside the Grayson manor. She recognized the woman standing before her now.

"I would never harm _my_ children!" the ghost screeched menacingly.

Anna stumbled back in shock. She tripped and fell backwards. "Leola? Leola… Grayson?" she said, in astonishment. The white, luminous specter abruptly stopped, as if surprised at the sound of its own name.

"Ssssssssssssssss," it hissed softly. "Yesssss… yes…" it said, in surprise. "My name… is Leola. THAT'S MY NAME!" it yelled, covering its face with its hands and dropping to its knees. Anna watched in terrified wonder as the thing began to bloom into a near blinding radiance. The light from its body shot through the darkness of the forest, illuminating everything brighter than the day. The birds around them were instantly awakened, and began to squawk and chatter madly in fright. Finally, the light began to withdraw and settle home within the thing from which it came. Anna squinted to adjust her eyes to the gloom once more. The ghost was still on its knees, rocking back and forth. It was sobbing.

"How have I come to be this way?" the ghost of Leola Grayson said, staring disbelievingly at its luminous hands. She glared up at Anna and then stood to reach out to her; her eyes were glowing. "You are Sithmaith, the one created by magic to fight in its noble cause. Surely you must know what happened to me?" she said, almost pleadingly.

Anna didn't know what to say. "You don't remember –– what happened to you? You're only just now remembering who you are… who you were?" she asked the ghost, suspiciously.

"I've been trying…" it replied, "to remember, but my past has been denied me. The magic that brought me to you would only reveal that I should rest and gather my strength for the oncoming storm. My role was to help prepare you for what was to come, to be your guide. Everything for you; nothing of myself was given to me. I've been roaming the diverse layers of the world, trying to understand my nature, what I am, who I was, searching between the whispers of magic that sent me and gave me my mission. I found myself very close to you several times since our last meeting."

Anna frowned. "Hold on…" She remembered the odd feeling of being watched while at Castlewood, "it was you I felt watching me at school! Why? Why were you there?"

"Familiar faces of a family lost to me were near you…" Leola continued, "but I could not reveal myself to them. I could not remember who I was, until now." Leola looked at Anna pleadingly. "I would always return here to walk the cliff's edge… looking… searching for… something. There is much… that magic has not told me of my cause, or… of my apparent death."

"The Mirror of Enlightenment told me… you were… murdered," Anna said, watching the ghost of her father's first wife carefully for a reaction. Leola seemed to stumble back and then turned hesitantly toward the cliff again. Her hand passed through the branch of the tree next to her and then stopped as if to grasp it tight. Another flash of light shot through the forest again, this time illuminating the tree next to her in a shimmering glow; every branch, every root, was a bright dazzling white.

"Yes… I remember now. I remember!" she shrieked. Leola looked down over the edge of the cliff. "It happened here," she said, despondingly. "It attacked me here, in this very spot."

Anna's mind was buzzing. She tried to find the right words, but couldn't seem to string them together properly. How does one ask a person how they were killed? Anna stepped forward. "Who was it that… attacked you?" The ghost looked back at her.

"I… don't… remember," she said, looking through Anna as if her misplaced memory was somehow standing behind her.

"Do you remember anything about what happened?"

Leola's gaze turned to meet Anna again. "I remember… someone. It was…" she looked out over the cliff to the rocks below and then back to Anna once more, "… a voice!"

"A voice? What voice?" Even through the veil of blurred light around her face, Anna could see the ghost looked terrified.

"It was… a demon!"

"What do you mean? Did you see it?"

"I don't…" Leola struggled, screwing up her face to remember. "I can still hear its voice, a woman's voice. The screeching cackling sound –– of evil." Anna's eyes widened.

"The evil one…" Anna whispered, and in that instant, she knew who it was Leola was describing. It was the same woman her brother Eric had heard with her own mother that night in his room; the same woman who seemed to have some controlling power over Victoria Grayson almost two years after Leola's death. The same evil Sarah had said was being held in Drogo castle. "But… how could this be?"

"I was murdered by a devil," repeated the ghost miserably. Anna moved closer. She could see the light within the ghost was weakening, its center dimming and beginning to fade.

"How did it happen? How did this evil one," Anna paused again. She wanted to say _kill you_, but thought better of it. "How did it attack you…? Leola…? Can you hear me?"

"I… weaken. I must rest… and… gather my strength."

"No, please… what did this person do? What do you remember?"

"I… was walking here… looking for… something… something I must have lost. I was searching… trying to find it. I was hit by a spell that paralyzed my body," she said, wrapping her hands around her arms. "My wand was taken from me, and then…" Leola looked up as if trying to see the face of her murderer. "She was there… I could see its face hovering over me… I knew her… she rolled my body to the edge of the cliff, and then… the thing cast me down. And… I… died." She started to whimper, and then a long lamented cry echoed into the space around where Anna stood. "Lost to sleep forever… until my awakening again for magic's sake."

"But who was it? Who?" Anna yelled back desperately.

Leola looked terrified. "I don't… remember… I can see her standing over me, I knew her, but I can't remember her face." The light from Leola's form was now pulsating rapidly; the vividness of her body flickered like a candle on the verge of blowing itself out.

"Leola? Please… I have to know… you have to tell me who it was!"

"Don't tell my children." The ghost said, looking up at Anna. "Please don't tell them… how I died," she pleaded sorrowfully. "And tell him… I'm sorry." The beseeching form started to float backwards over the edge of the cliff. It hovered just out of Anna's reach above the wave-drenched rocks hundreds of feet below.

"No… please… I need you to stay with me. I need to know more. The evil one is still out there –– at Drogo castle. The mirror said she would kill me if she knew of my existence, but I don't know why. You have to tell me more about her! Leola please!"

"Tell him…" her misty voice echoed in saddened reply.

"Tell who? Who are you talking about?"

"Tell Boris I didn't mean to… to hurt him. I was angry. He was my husband, and you said he was your father. I thought he had betrayed me, betrayed our love with another, with Victoria… my best friend… Victoria."

Suddenly, Anna understood. When the ghost of Leola attacked her father, she could not remember the details of her own death. Surely, the news of another child by her father would have been confusing to her.

Anna reached out to the ghost. "Please come back. I need you. I want to speak with you about my mother… please…. come back. Don't leave me now!"

"Tell my husband… I understand, and… I'm glad he has found love again… with another… with Victoria."

Anna was frantic. "No… you don't understand! My mother is dead too. She died soon after you. She…" but it was too late. The ghost of Leola Grayson flickered and then bloomed.

"Tell him… please tell him… I love him…and… I am sorry. So very… sorry." Her translucent body began to sputter; it turned, and then suddenly fell.

"AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!" Leola screamed, and Anna watched in horror as the ghost tumbled end over end and down into the blackened sea. The ocean crashed into the wall below, and as it pulled away, a body could be seen lying motionless upon the weed swept rocks. The glow of her lifeless form faded into the depths as another wave spilled forward, and when the water pulled away, the ghost of Leola Grayson was gone. A dizzying wave of nausea hit Anna's stomach as she lurched back, her eyes clinched tight and wet with tears. She wrapped herself around the base of a tree and retched, she heaved, and then vomited.

"Oh… my God," she whispered to the moonlit sky above her. "Leola Grayson… my father's wife… was murdered." _Why? What was this evil killing and controlling members of the Grayson family? _

183


	34. Fidelius Custodis

Chapter 34d32 – Fidelius Custodis

Chapter 34

Fidelius Custodis

ONE

_Boom!_

Anna found herself underwater as another huge wave crashed in on top of her. The cold ocean was rushing in from everywhere.

Thump – _boom!_

Anna couldn't breath. She was drowning as she struggled to reach the surface.

Thump – thump –_ boom!_ Another wave pushed her back down. She felt the water enter her lungs; panic moved to overwhelm her. Something made of ice grabbed her by the ankle from the depths below and she looked down. There, staring up at her from a blackened pit was the white, half-mutilated face of Leola Grayson. Death was scowling at her.

"_Don't tell them how I died,"_ she warned. _"I want to see you downstairs."_

Thump – thump – thump. Anna gasped and then jerked awake.

"Anna… daddy wants to see you downstairs." Anna bolted up in her bed and quickly looked around. The bedroom was dark.

Thump – thump – thump, came the rap on her bedroom door again.

"Anna, are you awake?"

"Yes…" she answered gutturally, "come in." The latch clicked and the door swung open. Anna squinted at the light pouring into the room. It was much later in the morning than she expected. Tencha stepped into the room.

"Up and at'em, doxy-head!" she said, jokingly. "Daddy's looking for you. Geez… it's darker than a tomb in here."

"What time is it?" Anna asked, rubbing her eyes in a broken – still sleepy voice."

"Almost eleven o'clock. You've already missed breakfast." Her sister crossed the room, tripping over a pile of clothes between the door and the window. She yanked back the curtains, and the light jumped through the opening like an explosion. "See? Sunny and bright. Goodness, you look awful. You feelin' okay?"

Anna looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she said, truthfully.

"Well, you'd better get downstairs. Daddy sent me up to get you."

"Why…? What's going on?"

"I don't know. We got a visitor early this morning. Daddy must have been expecting her. He sent Widwick down to the gates to escort her in before there were any alarms. They've been in daddy's office with Eric most of the morning. They're all acting kind of secretive about something."

"And they want to see me? Why? Who is it?"

"No idea," Tencha said indifferently, stooping over to pick up some of her clothes. "Dowla said she thought she heard the woman saying something about Apparating all the way from Hogwarts." She sniffed at Anna's dirty shirt and wrinkled her nose before tossing it onto the bed. "Ohhh! That outfit smells like those stables you're always playing in."

"Hogwarts? But… who from Hogwarts would be coming to see us?"

"You-got-me…" her sister smiled, turning to primp her hair in Anna's mirror, "Kind of exciting, ay? Imagine Apparating all that way? It's got to be some kind of record. What is that… like… six thousand miles or something?" She grinned back at Anna through the mirror and then shrugged. "Anyway, Dowla and I are going shopping. The driver's waiting outside. You'd better get downstairs as fast as you can. You can fill us in when we get back," she said, walking toward the door. There was a shout from downstairs. "I'm coming!" Tencha yelled back, closing the bedroom door as she left.

Anna was up and dressed in a flash. _Somebody from Hogwarts? I wonder who it could be, s_he thought, running a fast brush through her hair. She yanked back a ponytail, slammed the bedroom door open against its hinges, and bolted down the staircase. Cookie's face was staring up at her from the surface of the sphere above his newel post. With a faint POP, the scruffy-faced ghost appeared above the railing, his battered old hat pulled down menacingly over his crumpled brow.

"Arm yerself, little lady. We've got trespassers on the prop-per-tay!"

"Who is it, Cookie?" Anna asked him, looking around covertly.

"Dunno. Didn't catch the name. Went to check her for fraowgs, but she didn't take kindly to me friskin' her. Said I was bein' _pro-vok-cat-teeve_, whatevern' that means. I got Eric an yer father keepin' an eye-onner in the downstairs.

"Thanks Cookie. I'll check on them for you," she said, dashing down the staircase.

"Let out a holler if'n ya need ta ra-sile that doggie down."

As Anna made her way down the hallway toward her father's office, she stopped to look at the last portrait before the door. There, the image of Leola Grayson looked almost timeless staring down at her. Anna always thought the painting made her feel unwelcome, but now she could feel her opinion of the tragic figure before her changing. The mother of her brothers and sisters was a victim of murder, _of MURDER!_ Somebody had killed her father's first wife, _but why? How could such a thing have happened?_

Anna was awake the entire night contemplating what she should do with this information. Leola had made her wishes clear that she did not want her children to know what had happened to her, and some small part of Anna understood why. A mother would want to keep an awful truth secret, especially if she knew it would hurt her children. In fact, Anna wasn't sure how she could tell her family about this secret. How would her father react to seeing his dead wife again? How would Eric feel about seeing his mother as a ghost?

But there was something else that troubled Anna about these revelations. She couldn't help wondering if this had anything to do with the death of her own mother. If the evil one had killed Leola, and then was overheard threatening Victoria two years later, then it wouldn't be hard to see how this person might be connected to Victoria's death as well. The evil one was forcing Victoria to utilize the Verosapt to find somebody important to her, and soon after that night her mother was dead. Her father always said it was an accident, but then again, everybody assumed Leola's death was an accident too. How could she keep this from her father? How could she keep this a secret from Eric? Wouldn't she, Anna, want to know the truth about her mother's death even if it involved murder? And then, shamefully, Anna realized there was another reason she couldn't tell anybody, _Captain Dunning. _

How could she tell her family about Leola's murder without also telling them who had done it and where they could find the killer? If she told them the murderer was in Drogo's prison, surely her father would track this person down through his Ministry contacts. He would spare no expense to locate and gather this person in. In doing so, Captain Dunning would assume she had broken her word to him, and for that, he would surely have her thrown out of Castlewood for attacking him in his office. It was all too complicated. She needed someone she could trust to help her sort this out and she knew who more than anybody would understand; she needed Gwen.

Anna peered up at the painting again. The face in the portrait she once thought haughty now seemed somber, almost sad, as if the subject looking down at her was trying to hide the terrible truth about its own demise. Anna knew it wouldn't be long before the ghost of Leola Grayson came to visit her again. They were now linked together by an awful past working to change the future, and only the faint strands of magic's consciousness understood how or why. Anna turned to listen at the door. She could hear the voices of people talking inside. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Anna? Is that you?" her father called. Anna opened the door.

"Good morning, daddy," Anna said, lightheartedly. "Tencha said you… wanted to see me?" Eric was standing next to an older woman Anna had never seen before. She was wearing dark green robes, square spectacles, and a pointed witches' hat with a large flat rim.

"Yes. Please… come in. There's somebody here I want you to meet. Close the door behind you." Anna did as she was told and then joined them. "Anna, I'd like you to meet Professor Minerva McGonagall." Anna smiled cordially at the woman who smiled back, but at the same time seemed to be eyeing her rather suspiciously.

"Professor… McGonagall?" Anna said, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. "My sister tells me you've just arrived from Hogwarts?" The awe in Anna's voice was well received by the woman.

"Yes, Miss Grayson… that is correct," she replied, in a straightforward Irish draw.

"Did you Apparate the whole way?" Anna asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Heavens no, my dear. I made several stops along the way before arriving in Philadelphia and then to a placed called Denver before arriving here."

"Very impressive, Professor," Eric added. "I've heard of intercontinental Apparating, of course, but I've never met anybody who had the ability to actually do it."

McGonagall straightened, "It just takes a bit of concentration and focus," she said smartly, as if giving another lesson to one of her classes.

"We watched the first task of the Triwizard Tournament from Spellsburg in November," said Anna. "It was very impressive."

McGonagall smiled. "Yes, we're all very proud of our champions," the woman replied stiffly. "We just had a wonderful Yule Ball Christmas Day in their honor. Nearly all of our seventh-year students stayed at the school over the holiday to celebrate," she said, with a note of satisfaction in her voice. There was a pause before Mister Grayson spoke again.

"Anna, Professor McGonagall is here to investigate your new found abilities to transfigure into another form." Anna's eyes suddenly widened in startled horror. She glared at Eric accusingly and then wearily toward McGonagall. Her father immediately recognized her unease. "The professor is highly regarded throughout the Wizarding world for her skills in this area, Anna. We're very lucky to have her sharing some of her time with us, especially over the Christmas holiday. Chancellor Thordarson spoke personally to the Headmaster of Hogwarts to make these arrangements on your behalf." He could see Anna didn't think much of the idea at all. "Please Anna, we need to understand what's going on here, and Professor McGonagall is one of the foremost experts on Animagi. I'm sure she can…"

"Daddy… I appreciate everybody is trying to help, but this is very… ah… I don't know… personal for me." Anna looked at McGonagall. "I'm sorry Professor, but I had no idea so many people were at work on my behalf. Had I known…"

"But I do understand, Miss Grayson," McGonagall interrupted, "however… you should know if it is true you have indeed become an Animagus, then it is not an entirely personal matter to just yourself. By wizard law, all Animagi must be registered with the Improper Use of Magic Office within the Ministry, and I believe the same laws apply here in the United States?" She looked at Mister Grayson who nodded.

Anna looked put-upon. "So… you're saying that I'll have to tell everybody about… about my problem?"

McGonagall frowned. "Well… that is a very strange way to put it, but essentially… yes, that is correct. I am interested in understanding why you would describe such a gift as a problem. Most Animagi have to work and study for many years under the watchful eye of the Ministry before attempting this level of magic. When the task is first done, there is usually great joy in the accomplishment," she explained.

"But Anna didn't study to become an Animagus, Professor. It just happened," Eric explained, looking supportively at his sister. Anna nodded in agreement.

"So I've been told," McGonagall replied, skeptically, "and that's why Professor Thordarson contacted me. What you describe sounds like your sister has become an Animagus, but we need to be sure before putting her through the Ministry's registry process where she will undoubtedly have to surrender some of her privacy." She looked at Anna. "So… Miss Grayson, as you can see, we are in fact trying to preserve your confidentiality as much as we possibly can."

"Forgive me, Professor," Anna said, folding her arms stubbornly, "not to be rude, but… what makes _you_ such an expert on the Animagi?"

"Anna!" scolded her father. "Professor McGonagall is here at my personal request and invitation. You will show the proper level of respect to a guest in our home."

Anna looked despondent before peering up again at McGonagall. "I'm… sorry," she said, reluctantly.

The professor cupped her hands at her waist and stiffened. For a moment Anna thought she saw the slightest flash of a smile. "I suppose it is a fair question," McGonagall replied. "Put another way, one might ask why a stranger would be invited into your home to make the determination as to whether or not a piece of your private life should be made known to the public. I expect you would wonder what makes me so different that both the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Chancellor at Castlewood Academy would rely on my opinion in this matter." The professor's eyes bore into Anna determinedly before abruptly turning. She walked to the corner of her father's desk where she removed her hat and then turned to face them again. "Fair enough… observe!" she said, flatly.

In the wink of an eye, it happened. Professor McGonagall's form suddenly shrank with a rushing blur until she sat upon all fours on the carpet looking up at them. She had turned into a cat.

"Astounding!" Eric said, in a tone of uncontrolled wonder.

Anna smiled gleefully. There was a small, childlike voice clapping inside that wanted to yell out, _Ooooowww… do it again! _The cat suddenly jumped up on the corner of the desk and then turned. It sprang and, with a soft POP, transformed back into the now standing Professor McGonagall.

"Absolutely amazing, Professor," said Mister Grayson, admiringly.

"Thank you. I do so enjoy my student's expression when they see this magic done for the first time."

"You did it so fast," Anna observed. "One to the other and then back again, just like that! When I change… it takes me…" She stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed up at her father and brother. McGonagall stepped forward.

"The speed of the transformation is the same for all Animagi unless, of course, something goes wrong." McGonagall stared at Anna appraisingly before turning to her father. "Mister Grayson, could I have a word alone with Anna, please? I'd like a private moment, if you don't mind." Mister Grayson looked at Anna, who seemed uncommitted about the idea.

"Of course, I think that _would_ be best. Eric and I will be in the family room upstairs. If you need anything, please summon Greechins from the next room." They headed for the office door with the Professor following close behind, whispering to Mister Grayson as they went. After they were gone, McGonagall closed the door and then returned to Anna.

"Now then, Miss Grayson, I'd like you to tell me everything about the circumstances leading to your first transfiguration. I want to know every detail you can recall, and then I would like you to give me an explanation of each and every experience you've had since the first." She walked around her father's desk and sat in the chair below her mother's portrait. She motioned to an open chair for Anna to sit opposite the desk and then slid her chair forward to sit straight. Although she hadn't known this woman for very long, Anna got the impression she must be a very strict teacher at Hogwarts.

"From the beginning, Miss Grayson, if you please."

So Anna reluctantly began. She told McGonagall about the first night she attacked Damon after her nightmare, and then about the time she turned into the creature at Castlewood after her fight with Debbie Dunning. She relived her change after the attack on Hobbs, and then again during the Vollucross race. Anna described for McGonagall the feelings she shared with the creature, the starving hunger that lead her to attack the sleeping deer in the woods. When she was finished, McGonagall leaned forward in her chair to survey her.

"And you say… it is a struggle to return to your human form once you become this creature?"

"If it's really dark and cold around me –– yes. The creature seems to prefer the dark and does whatever it can to avoid bright lights. It's more willing to withdraw if I concentrate on a warm place –– like the beaches here in the summertime."

"You speak as though the creature had a will of its own. As if it were something separate within you. Would you say this is an accurate description of what you're feeling?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Anna replied. _Finally_, she thought, _somebody who understands. _

The professor placed the ends of her fingers together, surveying Anna with an unmistakable look of concern. "Now, Miss Grayson, I'd like your permission to watch you go through the transformation." Anna could see the woman was asking, not demanding, to make this observation and she appreciated the implied respect McGonagall was offering her.

"I… guess that'll be all right," Anna said, resignedly. And then, thinking she might actually learn something in the process, she made a request. "It might be better if it was a bit darker in here… and could we lower the temperature a little?"

Without another word, McGonagall raised her wand and made a quick flick to her right. Immediately the room's globes darkened to a quarter of their original brightness and the temperature dipped ten degrees.

"Cold enough?" she asked, still holding her wand out to the side.

"A little more, please," Anna replied, closing her eyes. Soon, she could feel her breath fogging the air in front of her face.

"Tell me what you're doing now, Anna. Walk me through your thoughts."

"I'm concentrating on the temperature… and transferring the feeling of cold to the inside. I'm calling the Lethifold to me," she explained, keeping her eyes closed and feeling her way through the folds of her consciousness, probing for the creature through the dark recesses of her soul. She was beckoning it forward.

And then, quite suddenly, it came in a desperate rush. With Anna's barriers completely down, the dark inkiness seemed to leap forward. McGonagall watched in amazed wonder as Anna's eyes filled with black, which then began to ooze from her sockets. Anna opened her mouth and began to retch the thing out of her body.

"Good… heavens," McGonagall whispered, rising slowly to her feet. She watched, as Anna's body appeared to melt into the carpet and then spread itself across the floorboards in front of her. The professor stepped around the desk and bent low to examine the inky pool. Thick appendages bloomed forward to snatch at her, stopping short of her face before slowly falling into itself again. The professor followed the creature as it began to creep across the floor and up the wall of the office, and then into a high corner where the wall met the ceiling. It shimmered as it skulked, following the lines of shadows across the ceiling above her.

TWO

Thirty minutes later, Mister Grayson and Eric were still waiting in the family room. Mister Grayson was sitting in his winged-back chair and staring into the fire under the mantel. Eric had given up sitting, and was now pacing nervously about the room.

"So… here we are again, eh?" Eric said with a smirk, thinking about the time when the family waited for Doctor Pearl to complete Anna's sorcerer's examination. His father didn't look up. "Do you think she's all right in there?" Eric said, prodding his father to speak.

"You mean Anna or Professor McGonagall?" his father replied, still looking into the fire.

"I'm serious, father…"

"So am I." Mister Grayson said, turning to look at his son. "The Lethifold is a highly dangerous, magical creature."

"But that's Anna in there. She's not really that creature… even if it is true she can change…"

"That's why McGonagall is here, Eric. We need to know what kind of control Anna has after the transformation takes place."

"Control? I… don't understand…"

Mister Grayson sighed. "Eric, when you first wrote to me about the things Anna admitted to you, I was very concerned. Not just because of her ability to change, but because of what I started to believe was a lack of restraint." Eric still looked confused. His father continued. "Do you remember that night when you found Anna unconscious in the chapel?"

"Yes…"

"Do you remember the discussion we had with Mr. Hobbs of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and then Lieutenant Doyle of the Ministry Authority about the Lethifold?"

"Ah… vaguely."

"You said something then that came back to me after I received your letter. You said Anna was found lying on top of a dead deer. Do you remember that?"

"Yes… at the time I thought the Lethifold might have killed the deer either immediately before or just after it had taken Anna, and…" Eric suddenly froze, staring at his father in stunned comprehension.

"I think you see where I'm going," his father replied. "You and I both know Anna would never hurt another animal on purpose, never mind try and kill it. Yet, while she was the Lethifold… that's exactly what she did. We also know that while she's had her battles with Damon and the twins on many occasions, she would never in her right mind try to seriously hurt them. But, again, that's exactly what she tried to do that night in her brother's bedroom." He paused again, looking at Eric worriedly. "I'm concerned about her ability to control this thing, whatever it is. And more…" he paused again, staring back into the fire, "I'm concerned about it being a magical creature." Eric frowned. The fact that his father was concerned about the type of creature Anna had become more than her ability to control it didn't make any sense to him.

"I… still don't understand. What are you thinking, father?"

Mister Grayson drew in a deep breath. "I'm terrified, Eric, more than at any time in my entire life."

Eric almost gasped aloud from shock. He had never heard his father string such words together before in his entire life. They flew into Eric's head and ricocheted through his brain like a bullet fired in some vacant cave. His father wasn't looking at him as he spoke, which made his words even more troubling. It was as if his father was afraid to look at him while admitting his fears out loud. Eric found his composure and then walked over. He knelt at his father's feet next to the hearth.

"What is it, father? What are you afraid of? Please… you can tell me."

Mister Grayson looked down. He could see the concern in his son's deep, brown eyes, reflecting the soft glow of the fire next to them. He could see his confessions of fear had not breeched Eric's total and unwavering faith in his ability to handle the problems that might arise against him and the family.

He reached out to grasp the boy's neck and firmly brought his son to him. He lowered his face level with Eric's and then kissed him gently on the forehead. "Do you know in your entire life you have never disappointed me?" Eric flushed, watching his father smile back. "You make me proud to be a Grayson, son. Truly… proud."

Eric smiled, and then took his father's hand in his. "You are the head of this family. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't pray my thanks to God for your strength. What's wrong, father? What's troubling you?"

Mister Grayson leaned back to gaze down at his son. The moment had finally come; a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life. As a father, it was his job to insure his children were kept safe from harm, properly instructed in the ways of honor, tradition, and faith, to make sure they understood their place in eternity. But there comes a time when a man's children grow and begin to reach out into the greater world around them. In doing so, they call upon their parents to help them change their relationship from that of just being a father and a son to something much more important. It was time; time to share everything with Eric and allow him to begin the process of taking on his father's mantel. This was the first step: To share with his first born son his deepest fears and Boris Grayson was enormously proud of Eric's willingness to listen without losing confidence and trust.

"My suspicions and fears do not come without much deliberation. I believe everything that's happened has come with a purpose. Although we don't have all the answers yet, I have a good idea of what's in our future. Anna's ability to change into a magical creature is unheard of in all of Wizarding history, and the fact that she doesn't seem to have total control over its actions confirms my belief that Anna is not an Animagi as we first might have presumed. That's why I've asked for McGonagall's help. The professor is a true Animagus. She has complete control of her actions and nature regardless of the form she takes. It doesn't look as if Anna's ability fits the same definition as we know it."

"So… what then?" Eric asked, still kneeling at his father's feet.

"I don't know yet, but I fear what we're seeing in Anna is just the beginning. I believe she's more, much more, than what we've witnessed so far. If she were to become, as Chancellor Thordarson suggests, the next Sithmaith, then it would imply our darkest days are but a moonlit shadow of what is to come. Thousands died the last time the elements of magic sought to bring something like this forth. But even more important to me are the words I read to you at Castlewood, the words of Merlin himself."

Eric frowned, not wanting to bring into his mind the horrifying thoughts of the greatest wizard ever known, but they came anyway despite his efforts to keep them out. _What punishment the soul who perverts the nature of a man's being to protect his own awaits?_

Merlin was contemplating his own immortal fate with these words, because of his deeds as the last Sithmaith. And then, suddenly, like a blast of cold wind entering his soul, Eric completely understood his father's fears. If Anna were the next Sithmaith, she would guide many in a fight to protect the innocence of magic just as Merlin had described. Her fate would be the same as his, the troubled thoughts of God's judgment shared, and the worry of leading so many others to the gates of oblivion for both their actions and absence in the greatest time of need.

An enormous weight began to crush Eric's heart for his sister's sake, and when he looked up into his father's eyes he found them, like his own, welled with tears. They reached out and held each other in an all-consuming embrace. So much was at risk.

"Uh-hem…"

Mister Grayson and Eric turned to find Professor McGonagall standing in the family room entranceway.

"Where's Anna?" asked Eric, standing to look around for her.

"She'll be along momentarily," McGonagall answered somberly. She entered the room and walked over to the fireplace. "I think I'm satisfied with my conclusions in this matter." She began to warm her hands near the flames. Slowly rubbing them together, she pushed them forward, spreading her fingers wide against the heat. Mister Grayson sat in his chair watching her, not looking especially interested in prying any immediate answers until the woman was ready to speak.

"And…?" Eric said impatiently.

McGonagall turned to face them. "It is my opinion that Miss Grayson… Anna… is not what we immediately thought her to be."

"I don't understand," Eric replied. "Did she change for you? Was she able to transform into the creature?"

"Oh… yes…" said the professor, turning to the fire again. "An astounding ability for one so young and without training, but I believe we should wait before submitting her name to the Ministry for the purposes of registration." She turned to look at Mister Grayson. "I don't believe Anna is an Animagus."

"What?" Eric blurted out. "But… what else would explain her ability to change?"

McGonagall looked calculatingly at Mister Grayson again. "I am sure there are a few remote possibilities, none of which I am currently able to explain," she said, furtively. Mister Grayson nodded, and Eric could see there was much more being exchanged between them than what was said.

"Where is she?" asked Eric. "Are you sure she's all right? I'm going downstairs to check on her."

"That won't be necessary," McGonagall replied, raising a hand to stop him. "Your sister isn't downstairs anyway." Eric turned to her and frowned.

"Well then… where is she?"

He saw the woman's eyes move slightly over her square-rimmed glasses to a place somewhere above his head. Eric immediately spun around and looked up into the ceiling. At first, he would have sworn nothing was there but the hardwood beams radiating up the vaulted ceiling to an octagonal embellishment over their heads. Then, he saw one of the beams begin to move. Something was traveling along its angled edge, a darkness slowly flowing down one of the timbers toward the wall. Mister Grayson got to his feet and stepped into the center of the room watching the thing's progress. When it reached the wall, the creature spread itself like some massive and inky-stain, flowing onto the floor in a shimmering pool of black. It left no trace of itself behind as it went.

"Good… Lord…" Mister Grayson whispered.

"Anna," called McGonagall, stepping forward. "Remember what I said about your concentration. Come into the light and warm yourself," she said, motioning the creature toward the fire. Slowly, and very cautiously, the Lethifold hovered across the floor like a black, satin sheet, its edges rippled as if in a breeze as it went along. The creature stopped and then began to round over on top of itself, taking the form of a girl hunched over on her knees, a blackened copy of Anna Grayson. She looked up and stared at her father.

Mister Grayson recognized the frightened look on his daughter's face even through the creature's dark mask; she didn't know what to expect from him now. What would he say about the thing she had become? He stooped down next to her and looked into her blackened eyes. He reached out, took his daughter's cold face in his hands, and kissed her gently on the cheek. As he pulled back, he could see tiny lines of black, thin as a spider's web, reaching out at him from the surface of her face.

"Still and always… a Grayson," he said, lovingly. Ebony tears fell from Anna's eyes and disappeared like water to a sponge into her chin as her father moved in to hug her. His loving warmth was against her, and soon the coldness of the creature withdrew, absorbed into the pores of Anna's body until only she herself remained.

"Unbelievable!" Eric said, in stunned wonder. While he had never doubted his sister's description of her transfigurations, seeing it first hand was nothing short of terrifying to him.

"Well done, Anna," said Professor McGonagall. "Your control is getting better each time you try. How did it feel to you this time?" Eric and her father helped Anna to her feet.

She mumbled something indistinguishable at first, and then, "The same as before, professor. The feelings of hunger and fear are still there."

"But manageable?"

"I… I think so."

"Excellent. I'm very impressed with your growing ability to control your emotions so well. You should sit and rest."

THREE

The next day was cold and rainy. Ominous clouds gathered over the ocean below the Grayson estate, signaling an approaching storm. The rain-soaked sand lay barren apart from the small rivers of water cutting their paths to the sea. Anna slept on the couch in the family room for most of the night before being awakened by her father and sent upstairs to bed. Professor McGonagall had already returned to England after leaving instructions with her father to have Anna contact her after she returned to Castlewood. They would continue to correspond on a monthly basis and immediately following any occasion where Anna transfigured into the Lethifold.

Anna liked Professor McGonagall. She was very stern and forthright in her manner, but deep inside, Anna got the sense of an enormously caring heart. It was decided that Anna would not have to register with the Improper Use of Magic Office as an Animagus, or at least not yet. Both McGonagall and her father felt it prudent to wait until her abilities could be fully understood. Although Anna couldn't remember when McGonagall had left the Grayson estate, she thought she overheard something very strange in her parting conversation with her father.

"We should wait until we know if she will change into something else," McGonagall had said when they thought Anna was asleep. At the time, Anna was too tired to give the comment much thought, but in the dawn of the next morning, McGonagall's words seemed to stick in her mind almost like a warning.

_What did she mean, change into something else?_ Everybody knew an Animagus could only turn into one animal. But, then again, they said an Animagus could only turn into non-magical creatures. Eventually, Anna decided she must have heard McGonagall incorrectly, and put the comment out of her head as nothing more than a weary mind grasping for sleep.

On the last day of the holiday break, most of the rooms in the manor were quiet. Eric and Damon were upstairs packing their trunks, and Tencha and Dowla were off on what they called their last-chance shopping spree. Gabby and Widwick were working in the kitchen on the family's last evening meal, which promised to be extravagant.

Anna slowly made her way downstairs, looking for her father. She entered his office to find his writing quills lying beside several rolls of parchment stacked high upon his desk. The flicking glow of a tiny lamp sat in the corner giving off sporadic spits of green. She could see her father had been at work for several hours already that morning, and could hear his voice resonating through the conference room wall next door. The busy click-clack of Meredith's shoes meant there were several others in the room as well._ He must be in a meeting_, Anna thought, sitting down in her father's chair.

She slowly spun around to peer up at her mother's portrait and then noticed the cross of gold around the image's open neck. Anna smiled, tracing the very same chain around her own neck. She marveled at how beautiful the adornment looked on Victoria and, without looking down, wondered if one day it might look as good on her.

Glancing around the office, Anna was unexpectedly impressed with her father's level of responsibility at the Ministry. Maybe it was her exposure to the world outside over the last several months, or seeing the impression her father left on others away from home, but for the first time in her life she started to understand what the Grayson name meant beyond her narrow view of the world she saw living here at the estate. Her father's purpose and talents were impressive, and she was suddenly feeling very proud of him.

The door of the conference room flew open and Meredith came bustling in. She was carrying a number of scrolls, which she placed on the couch before turning to exit into the hallway. She hadn't noticed Anna sitting there. There were a number of swooshing sounds emanating from the fireplaces within the conference room, signaling the end of her father's meeting. Anna could hear him in agreeable conversation with several individuals before wishing them all a pleasant journey home. Anna stood and quietly crept over to the open door to peek in. Her father was now seated alone at the head of the large conference table writing on a number of scrolls. The air was singed with the smell of spent Floo Power emanating from the many fireplaces surrounding him. She moved to join him.

"Greechins!" her father bellowed and Anna froze. She could hear the thumping footfalls of her father's employee entering the room from another door.

"Yes, sir?" Mister Grayson didn't look up.

"I want a clear evening with my family tonight. No meetings or signatures after two o'clock, understand?"

"Of course, sir. I told Mrs. McConnell earlier about the message you received from England's Minister of Magic. Did she give it to you?"

Mister Grayson dropped his quill and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, she did. I don't want to talk with Cornelius today. Please… make my apologies to the Minister, and tell him I'll fit myself into his schedule anytime he likes tomorrow, all right?" The Goblin bowed in reply. "So what's left?"

"I believe, sir, Mrs. McConnell has collected all your signatures for the day… oh… except for the letter you requested for _Drogo_." Anna's heart took an unexpected leap and she quietly fell back to listen outside the door.

"Oh yes," Mister Grayson replied, "I had forgotten. I should have taken care of that while I was at Spellsburg… but my mind was on other matters at the time."

"Totally understandable, sir," said Greechins, sympathetically. "We were all very concerned about Miss Anna's injuries at the time. It's such a relief to see she's recovered so well. Mrs. McConnell gave me the outline of the letter you wanted, and I have a final draft ready for your review." The goblin handed Mister Grayson a piece of parchment, which he quickly scanned.

"Very good. I'd like you to make one change here regarding their progress. Say something to the effect that I'm pleased with the recent improvements I saw on the prison grounds, and the enhanced forewarning charms in Spellsburg."

"Not a problem, sir," said the goblin, in a gravelly voice. He took the letter back.

"Put the final draft in the office vault when you're finished and I'll sign it after the children go to bed."

_Vault? What vault?_ Anna thought, quickly looking back around in the office behind her._ I've never seen a vault in here._

"Of course, Mister Grayson. Would an owl tomorrow morning be appropriate?"

"That'll do. Oh… and could you tell Widwick to clean the fireplaces again. The Ambassador from Sweden arrived this morning with a smudge of soot on his robes. I won't have that happening to my guests. Please ask him to take care of it." There was the sound of a sliding chair. "Am I free, then?" Mister Grayson asked pleadingly.

"Yes, sir, until your conference at noon, that is."

"Very well. I'll be upstairs with the children."

Anna turned and ran back to the opposite door at the sound of her father's approaching steps. She dashed down the hallway, up the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door in a flash. When the house was well out of sight, she finally stopped.

"What in the world is going on?" Anna yelled, stomping around in frustration. "He knows where Drogo prison is?" It was such a shock, she could barely think of it as true. Why was her father sending owls there? She heard him speaking of the improvements to the grounds as if he had recently been a visitor there. _What was he doing at Drogo?_

She soon found herself standing by the cliff's edge where she had seen the ghost of Leola Grayson. She flopped down frustratingly upon a boulder overlooking the sea. The ocean matched her mood. It looked angry as the wind raked across its dark surface. Anna wrapped her arms around her knees at the biting cold; in her anxious escape from the house, she had forgotten to take a cloak. _What was happening?_ she thought angrily. _Who was her father writing to at Drogo?_

She began to think about all that had happened over the last few months. _First — I find out this evil one had threatened my mother, and then for some unknown reason had altered my birth. Sarah said this person was being kept in Drogo prison near Spellsburg, and now I discover this person killed Leola Grayson._

She tried to remember exactly what the Mirror of Enlightenment had told her. _The beast that altered you is a terribly evil thing that looks to escape from a prison of its own making. _"What did the voices mean when they said _a prison of its own making_? If the thing was in Drogo prison, why didn't the mirror just say that? It killed Leola, and it might have killed my mother too." _Why?_

Then something terrible drifted forward out of her memory. The mirror also said, _"It will surely kill you for its master's sake if given a chance and learns of your existence. The Dark Lord is gathering strength, and so are his minions in hiding everywhere."_

"Voldemort?" Anna said out loud. His supporters had tried to assassinate her father many times before he was destroyed in his attempt to kill the Potter family. Could it be Voldemort had sent this murderer to kill Leola to get to her father? Did she then kill Victoria for the same reason? But she was already in the house before her mother's death. _W__hy didn't this assassin attack my father while she was here? And why would it want to kill me? Why not Eric, or one of the other Grayson children?"_

The thought of her father sending messages to some unknown person at Drogo was frustrating. Anna pounded her forehead with her fists. "I don't understand!" she yelled out at the sea. Why would Captain Dunning be so adamant about her not saying anything to her father about the prison when he already knew about the place? She had always assumed Dunning was trying to save his own neck by keeping Drogo's location a secret. Now Anna wasn't sure what Dunning's intentions were at all. A deep feeling of frustration and anger began to pour forth. Something important was being kept from her.

Her father had told Greechins to put the letter in the vault. _What vault was he talking about? There's no vault in his office… or…was there?_ And then it occurred to her what she wanted to do. She stood and, rubbing her cold arms, she turned and headed back up the hill. She was going to find this vault, and see if she could get her hands on the letter. She wanted to know what it said, to whom it was being sent, and what her father's interests were in Drogo. Something important was missing in her understanding of the things around her, and Anna decided tonight she would take a more aggressive role in finding the answers she so desperately needed.

FOUR

That evening the Graysons were in the dining room for their last family dinner. There was laughing and many toasts, but Anna was unusually quiet. Her somber mood did not go unnoticed.

"Anna, you're awfully quiet tonight," Eric said, sitting next to her. She was watching Damon, who was giving a perfect and disparaging imitation of Captain Dunning as the twins howled with laughter. She gave Eric a rye smile.

"It's strange. After praying I might be allowed to go to Castlewood for so many years, I'm still a little sad about leaving home again," she replied earnestly.

Eric grinned. "I know what you mean. I love studying back East, but the older I get the more I miss not being here with our father." He looked over at Mister Grayson who was looking somewhat surprised by Damon's impersonation of Castlewood's Captain of the Guard.

"He said that?" Mister Grayson said of Dunning in surprise.

"Yeah," answered Tencha. "_The Graysons are a menace to this school,"_ she said, in a mocking voice, repeating Dunning words during Michael Wendell's hearing.

"That's right…" Dowla added, "and then he said, '_The Graysons are known troublemakers. Every one of you should be as far away from this place as possible_,'" she complained, in her own inaccurate imitation of Dunning.

Their father glowered at them. "Now I'm sorry I didn't insist on that meeting before my departure," he heaved, concernedly. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin as if contemplating a chess move. "Troublemakers, huh?" he whispered to himself. His eyes suddenly darted up at them. "It would seem the Captain and I have unfinished business."

"Cheers!" said Damon, raising his glass of wine toward their father. Mister Grayson leaned in.

"Now listen closely to me, all of you," he said, very seriously. "You are all to be on your best behavior while at school until I can settle this properly. Do you understand?" He scanned each of them individually to ensure he had their attention.

"Yes, sir," they replied together.

"I mean it! I'll do my part to end this harassment, but I don't want to hear you've given Dunning a valid reason to overreact." He stared at the twins especially, and they nodded. "And that goes for you too, Anna," he added. Anna looked up in surprise. She glared at Eric, wondering if he had told their father about her arrest. Her brother seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Yes, sir," she replied, worriedly.

When the conversation finally changed its course, Eric turned to her. "No… I didn't tell him," he said, reticently. "And I specifically warned Damon and the twins not to say anything either." Anna bore through his stare searching for the truth, and then nodded when she was convinced of his loyalty.

In time, the dinner turned happy once again, and after a number of Christmas cheers and farewell toasts, the family headed upstairs for bed. Anna lay awake in the dark for hours until she heard her father coming up the staircase. When she was sure he was in his room, she immediately leapt up. She put on her robe and slippers, and jammed her wand into her pocket. She cracked her door to look out and then quietly stepped into the hallway. Tiptoeing down the staircase, she paused slightly to listen for the familiar sounds of Cookie snoring inside his newel post. She crept down to the entryway and around the railing leading to the basement.

A minute later, Anna was closing the door inside her father's office. The globes on the walls began to brighten, filling the room in its familiar amber hue. She crossed the space to the conference room door and cracked it open to peek into the large emptiness beyond. The room was dark and cold; she was alone. Anna closed the door and then turned to look carefully, much more deliberately, into her father's office around her. Several books were missing from their place on the shelves, which she found neatly stacked on his desk among several old scrolls. The portrait of Victoria Grayson was bathed in an eerie, shadowed-filled blue from the lamp above its frame.

Returning to the center of the room, Anna slowly inspected everything. _The vault could be anywhere: In the floor, in the walls, behind one of the glass cabinets. Where should I begin? _She clasped her hands together almost prayerfully and then stepped forward to place her palms flat to the walls. She closed her eyes in concentration as she moved across its surface, paying close attention to the textured material under her touch as her hands carefully glided across the wall, stopping only when she could feel the slight warmth of one of the globes beneath her fingertips. And then, there was a familiar whisper in the back of her mind; it echoed through the sound her hands made across the plaster and wood.

"_Sithmaith…"_ a voice cooed softly and Anna froze_. "Welcome home… Guardian."_ Anna immediately jerked her hands away. She had heard a voice similar to this once before at Castlewood. On that first day at the front gate before her hand was sucked into the stone of the archway. Listening carefully, Anna placed her hand on the wall again.

"_The protector has returned,"_ said the voice in her mind.

"Who… are you?" Anna whispered back.

"_We are but a thread of the magic you serve. Do not fear…we are as one. What is it you seek, little one?"_ Anna's heart was pounding; she could hear the blood pulsing in her ears.

"I… I'm looking for something in this room," she said, uncertainly. "I'm looking for a safe or a vault I believe my father has hidden here." More whispers poured from the walls; they vibrated through her fingertips and into her head.

"_Nothing under magic's veil… can be hidden from you, Sithmaith. You are part of the whole… are you not?"_

"I… guess so…" Anna answered, unsurely.

"_Stand away, Guardian, and direct your sight on that which was meant to be hidden. Focus on what is not seen."_ Anna stepped back to the middle of the room and then turned to scan the office once more. Nothing unexpected was there. She closed her eyes and repeated the instructions the voice had given to her.

"Show me what was meant to be hidden," she whispered, and then opened her eyes again… still nothing. She took another deep-cleansing breath, closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind. "What can't I see?" Her eyes slowly peeked out. From the corner of the room she began to see a soft glow. She turned to face the wall between her mother's portrait and the couch and saw an arched door appearing within a bluish haze. Anna recognized the blanket of color immediately. She had seen it before when she first saw Drogo castle while riding over the mountains of Spellsburg. The black castle had the same eerie haze to it, an envelope of blue mist. Gwen had said Drogo was protected by the _Fidelius Charm_, which was suppose to keep its location a secret to all but its secret keeper, but Anna was somehow able to see the castle anyway. She looked at the massive black door and then realized, "The vault must be protected by the _Fidelius Charm._"

She stepped up to the door and placed her hand on its surface. Immediately, the bluish haze disappeared to reveal a massive, steel door as the voice returned.

"_Very good, Guardian. You are now the keeper of this secret with one other, with your father, Boris Grayson."_

"But how? How is it that I can be this vault's secret keeper?"

"_We are united, are we not, against the impending storm? We desire your protection, and you may need to tap the fiber of what we are to accomplish your tasks."_

"_Maat," "vriendin," "comitis," "компаньон"_

Anna smiled warily and then, looking up at the door once more, she gathered her resolve. "How can I open this?" she said, pushing at the door's front and then pulling on its iron handles. There was a rusty placard welded upon its surface that said:

Hand-forged and Protected by Hooksbarb

The best in Gremlin Conjured Enchantments

Anna stood back. "I want to get inside…" she said, angrily. The voices in her head were silent. She placed a hand on the door again.

"_You must become one with us to enter…"_

"I don't understand…" Anna started to say, and then, unexpectedly, she felt her hand fall into the metal of the door. Anna let out a yelp of surprise and tried to yank back. It was stuck fast. _No… not again…_ she thought, remembering her experience with the stones at the Castlewood entranceway. The voices in her head were getting louder now.

"_Fear not, Guardian, we will become one, and you will pass through this barrier."_

"Pass through?" Anna tried to calm herself. She could feel a tingling sensation touching her hand within the metal of the door. It felt like many tiny fingers touching and stroking her skin, as if coaxing her forward, drawing her onward. She stopped struggling and then inched her hand forward. It slid effortlessly into the door still further and an uncontrollable recklessness began to fill her.

"All right…" she whispered, determinedly. She took deep breath, closed her eyes, and then pushed forward. There was a warm rush of wind passing over her body as Anna stepped through the door and into the vault; only darkness was there to greet her. Anna fumbled desperately in the pockets of her robe for her wand.

"_Lumos!"_ she squeaked in amazement, and the light from her wand tip burst forth inside the massive chamber. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had walked straight through a solid metal door; and not just any door, but one undoubtedly protected by an array of magical spells and goblin enchantments. _How was that possible?_ She looked at the back of the door and the many gears, bolts and levers holding it together. There were blue sparkles of magic, like fireflies winking and popping on the surface of the metal outlining the spot where she had passed through. Charms, no doubt, to protect the door from the most determined intruders. But not, it would seem, from magic's Guardian.

The space inside the vault was cavernous, and looked as if it had been honed from a series of caves extending in several infinite directions in front of her. The walls were coated with the same blue shimmer of magic that winked and glittered like diamonds. Stalactites and stalagmites glistened wet from the floor and ceiling, and there was the echoing sound of dripping water all around her. Several stalagmites had been sheared off at the waist to create tables, and stacks of gold coins were piled upon them everywhere. Precious gems and objects of priceless silver and gold were stacked neatly inside holes meticulously hollowed out of the rock walls. Anna knew the Grayson family was well off, but what she saw here made her gape in awe. Several centuries of ancestral treasure were within these walls, the accumulation of wealth, no doubt, from both the Grayson and Jennings families. Smiling, Anna could only imagine what a thief would say upon seeing such riches.

Then, an obvious problem suddenly dawned on her. There was so much here; how would she find what she was looking for? Reaching back, Anna placed her hand on the door once more.

"Are you there?" she whispered, looking into the shadowed corners of the cave for a response.

"_Always… Sithmaith."_

"I'm trying to locate a letter that was placed in here earlier today." A light suddenly illuminated, showing a small pedestal to her left.

"_This would be the newest arrival,"_ said the voice in her head. A tied sack sat upon a piece of parchment. Anna picked up the heavy sack and looked inside. Hundreds of shiny gold galleons glittered in the light above her. She picked up the paper and moved her wand over to read.

To: The Confederation of Ministries,

Secret Keeper of Saint Drogo's Hospital for Incurable Lost Causes.

Dear Sir,

I'm sending you my annual contribution toward the continued care, upkeep and maintenance of Saint Drogo hospital. I was pleased with the improvements in the condition of the cells during my last visit and to the prison grounds in general. I was also very impressed with the newly conjured incantations and enchantments put in place for Spellsburg's greater protection. Thank you again for your continued commitment to improving this facility, and the lives of those unfortunate souls living within its walls. In response to your persistent eagerness to advance the quality of life of the hospital's residents, I am increasing my yearly donation and await with fervent anticipation the many improvements it may collect.

With warmest regards, Boris Edmond Allister Grayson,

Ministry Director/Wizard and Muggle Banking Cooperation

So, her father not only knew where Drogo prison was located, but he was also sending gold there and visiting the prison on a regular basis. Apparently, he had been doing this for quite a while. The letter had been written to the prison's _secret keeper_ who was not specifically named. _It had to be Captain Dunning_, Anna thought angrily. She was still convinced that Dunning was up to something sinister in all of this. _Maybe this was it; maybe he was stealing the gold her father was sending to him; but… no._ _Her father seemed genuinely pleased with how the gold was being spent for improvements to the prison. So what was it then? _

Anna reread the letter twice more before placing it down on the pedestal again and turning to the door. Placing her hand on its metal surface, she said, "Thank you… for helping me."

"_The protector is most welcome. A trivial matter compared to your devotion to our continued existence."_

Anna laid her forehead resignedly against the cold steel, "I still don't know what you expect from me." There was a long silence before the voice returned.

"_The strands of magic speaking to you cannot say what will be the outcome of our future together, but be assured, Sithmaith, we are most pleased with your progress."_

Anna gave a tired smile, suddenly feeling very weary. She slowly turned and fell back against the door, her wand light dipping to her feet. Looking again into the darkness of the caverns in front of her, unanticipated words of frustration seemed to release themselves from her mind. She said them almost rhetorically, without a thought of hearing any response.

"How did my mother die?" she moaned, despairingly. A sudden coldness settled over her body upon hearing her own words, and the long silence that followed seemed to snap her attention forward again. She frowned, almost interpreting the silence as an unwillingness to answer her.

"_Polleo – fortis,"_ said a different voice, deep inside her mind._ "You are so… very brave."_

"_Lej__á__r__ó__ny__í__l__á__s…"_ said another.

"_Our champion…" _

There was another pause before the first voice came forward again. "_The thread that touches you now has not the knowledge of what you seek. For we exist here and nowhere else. But there are many threads that make up the vaporous mysteries you call magic, numerous levels of understanding stretching out into the world that may know more than those speaking to you here. We feel the danger coming, and we recognize our champion, but we are as islands scattered across the deepest waters, all connected, and yet… isolated. Another island, absent but by the morning's tide, may hold your answers… or they may be as dreams in a distant land across the sea._

It was getting difficult for Anna to bring forth the concentration necessary to understand what the voices were telling her. She immediately thought of the verosapt. "Another island in the sea," she said to herself, heaving a weary breath. "I'm so tired," she moaned again, turning longingly in the direction of her bed on the other side of the door. She placed her hands on its surface. "Please, let me pass." Immediately, one of her hands moved forward and was swallowed by the door. There was another rush of wind through her body as she closed her eyes and stepped forward. In an instant, she was standing in her father's office once more. She turned and watched the door behind her begin to fade into a bluish haze; it rippled distortedly and then it was gone. Anna headed upstairs and quietly closed the door to her bedroom. She didn't want to think about anything anymore. She let her robe slide over her shoulders to the floor, and then crawled back into bed. Anna laid her head on her pillow and listened to the sound of the ocean rolling across the beaches outside her window. She imagined herself standing on the beach and reaching out toward those distant islands across the sea. She felt her body being lifted and pulled in their direction, but it was exhaustion and finally sleep that were sweeping her away.

FIVE

"Anna, what are the most important strengths our family possesses?"

It was the next morning, and the Grayson children were once again standing in line waiting to receive their father's blessing before journeying back to school. Their trunks were packed and loaded, and the cars were warming their engines outside. Mister Grayson had already given his council and advice for the remaining year and was now standing in front of Anna, waiting for an answer to his question. She barely heard him.

"Anna? Are you all right?" he said, frowning at her. She looked up at him and into his brown, absorbing eyes. Deep down, she felt something different she had never felt while in her father's presence. She realized it was a hole, as if something that was once there was suddenly absent. She knew immediately what was missing.

"Trust," she said, unwaveringly. She stared up at her father, looking for his reaction. He frowned at her.

"What?" he said in surprise. Anna didn't flinch. She could feel her brothers and sisters turning to look at her from their place in the line. Gabby, who was standing to her right, jerked up to stare at her.

"Faith, love… and trust," Anna replied coldly. Her father paused, unsure in what why to respond.

"Okay…" he said, in a long drawing voice. "And tell me, do these strengths depend on our power or abilities?"

"No, they are gifts from God to all of us." Anna's father forced a smile. He reached out and hugged her. Suddenly, his warm embrace seemed to fill all that might have been missing in her heart. She hugged him back not wanting to release him again.

"Can I trust you to honor your faith while you're away and out of my reach? Can I trust you in this line?" he whispered into her ear in a heart-felt moan, his voice already filled with longing.

"Yes, daddy, you can trust me," she replied earnestly. Her father released her and walked back to fill his space in the line next to Widwick and Mrs. McConnell, both of which were weeping. Their father's voice boomed over their sobs.

"You must remember that magic is not allowed outside the estate grounds until you're aboard the Allegheny Pride." He paused again. "I grant you permission to leave our family home and venture out. Good luck — work hard — and return safe. You're dismissed!"

The family stepped forward and hugged their father as one. "The thought of letting you go again is… unbearable to me," he groaned. Then, releasing them, he turned to the side and motioned them toward the door. "Stay the course," he said with a sniff, "and give Angus my regards on your journey out." He handed Eric a brown paper bag containing Captain Reye's gift. "You'd better get going."

One by one, the children kissed their father, and Anna and Eric hugged Mrs. McConnell before walking out the door and down the stone steps. Stooping low, they threw themselves into the back seat of one of the cars.

Gabby swatted Widwick on the back of his baldhead. "And don't you's forget'ta water mys Razormallard in the greenhouse, you worthless pile o' thorse dung!"

Widwick screeched in surprise, rubbing his throbbing head. He looked back at Gabby with tears of sorrow welling in his eyes. "Iz gonna miss you's too… you's old bat!" he replied, shoving Gabby through the car door and onto Anna lap.

"Goodbye, Widwick. I love you!" Anna yelled out with a grabbing wave. There was a series of thumps as the doors were closed and the drivers dropped the cars into gear. With a final wave from their rear windows, the children slowly rolled out of sight. Mister Grayson turned to look at Mrs. McConnell and Widwick who were still wiping their eyes.

"I'll never get use to seeing them leave," he said wearily. He turned to reenter the house. "I do … hate it so."

SIX

Several hours later, Anna was leaning against the railing of the Allegheny Pride, telling Gwen and Sarah Bell everything that had happened over the holiday. When she got to the part where she saw the ghost of Leola Grayson, Sarah cupped her mouth and screamed in frightened amazement.

"And you say, the ghost couldn't remember who the person was that murdered her?" Gwen asked skeptically.

Anna shook her head. "No… she seemed genuinely surprised when I told her what the Mirror of Enlightenment had said."

"Weird. And she attacked your father because she actually thought that he was having some kind of an affair with your mother?" Anna shrugged. "My God… how bizarre is that?"

She told them about Professor McGonagall traveling all the way from Hogwarts. The girls stared in amazement when she repeated what McGonagall had said about her not being an Animagus.

"Well, if not an Animagus… what then?" Gwen asked, incredulously.

"I don't know," Anna replied, gazing out into the green mist of Neptune's Veil. She started to think again about the strange comment she thought she heard McGonagall saying to her father. _We should wait until we know if Anna will transform into something else._ Anna looked at Gwen and Sarah. "You know… I've had dreams about becoming other creatures too." They stared at her in surprise. "They're just dreams, you know, but I do remember them vividly. They were so real to me at the time. I remember turning into something large with claws during a fight with Damon once, and then flying through the woods at night and attacking Debbie Dunning."

"Oh, I've had that dream too," said Gwen, her eyes smiling with delight. Anna and Sarah looked stunned as Gwen continued. "My whole arm turned into this big troll's club," she said, turning a stiff elbow in her other hand, "and I was chasing Debbie through the corridors, swinging it like a maniac. Oh… it was so sweet!"

Anna snorted. Once again, Gwen's sense of humor seemed to be the remedy to all her worries. "Well… did you ever catch her?"

Gwen's face fell disappointedly. "Nah… I got her pinned next to that statue of Leopold the Lippy, you know –– the one with all that moss growing on his face in the North Tower? Anyway…" Gwen turned to make sure nobody around them could hear, "I got the little fatso cringing like the coward she is in a corner…" she growled, suddenly transported to the very moment of unexpected delight, "but when I went to raise my arm to bash her in the head, the club was like… twelve feet long and I couldn't lift it off the stupid floor. And then my whole shoulder started to turn into wood," she said, rubbing the side of her neck with a frown. "Then that gorgeous Albert Teneby came running down the hallway to save me." Sarah started to snicker. "Yeah… he comes over and helps me lift my arm, and then asks if I'd like to go with him to get some ice cream. So, of course, I ask him if my club bothered him, and he says, _no… I like girls with a troll's clubs for arms_."

Anna was laughing. "So… what then? Did Albert Teneby help you carry your club out to Mrs. Smile's for a cone?" She looked at Sarah who had her knuckles buried in her mouth. Gwen's face looked like it was filled with pain.

"No… can you believe it? This brainless troll walks up and yanks me up by the wrist, says he wants his club back and then starts to carry me off. I'm screaming at the top of my lungs for Albert to help me and he's standing there on the drawbridge, waving like an idiot, saying we can get ice cream some other time. And then he goes running off after that pretty little Karen Scott." Gwen folded her arms in obvious frustration. Then… looking up at Anna, she frowned. "So… what were you saying again?" Anna and Sarah were leaning on each other and laughing hysterically.

SEVEN

Soon the Allegheny Pride was docked along the river's edge in Pennsylvania, and its students were cramming themselves into several waiting cable cars. They entered Spellsburg once again to the cheering applause of the townspeople wishing them all a Happy New Year. Soon, the three friends were sitting by a warm fire in the Tower Room, and Anna was finishing her account of how she had found her father's vault and the letter to St. Drogo's castle. Gwen and Sarah sat mesmerized by the news.

"You were able to pass through a solid metal door? Wow," Gwen said in amazement. "I wonder if all the Guardians can do that — or just you?" Anna hesitated. She never told her friends about Eric's belief that she was supposed to be some kind of Guardian leader; what the mirror had called the _Sithmaith_. She didn't know if these strange powers were extended to all of the Guardians or not. She looked at Gwen appraisingly.

"I don't know. Have you ever heard voices speaking to you whenever you touch a magical object?"

Gwen looked disappointed. "No…" she muttered, disparagingly. Then she brightened. "But I did hear singing once when I kissed Joshua Polanowski."

Anna smiled. "I think that's probably something different." She looked at Sarah. "So… how was your Christmas, Sarah? Any problems with talking in your sleep?" Sarah Bell's face brightened.

"Professor Thordarson was kind enough to take me aside before I left to go home, and he showed me a spell that we usually wouldn't see until our fifth year. He's a very nice man." She began to fumble for something in the pockets of her robes and then pulled out her wand. Pointing it at her own throat, she whispered, _"Silencio!"_ She lowered her wand and then tried to speak. There were no words as she proceeded to carry on with their conversation. Gwen suddenly whipped out her wand and pointed it at her.

"Pump up the volume, girl. _Sonorus!_" she chanted, looking to increase Sarah's failed voice. Sarah laughed and continued to move her lips without a sound. She began to toss her head left and right, seemingly blabbering contentedly without a care. She finally stopped and then closed her eyes as if to intensify her concentration. She raised her wand to her throat and moved her lips to the words of the counter spell. She opened her eyes.

"YOU SEE? IT WORKS GREAT!" Her words boomed into the room like an explosion, and Sarah slapped her hands over her mouth in shock. Anna and Gwen grabbed their ears from the pain of Sarah's blasting voice reverberating around them in the Tower Room. Several other students seated close by screamed in surprise.

"Hey — keep it down!" yelled a seventh-year across the room.

"Sorry, Sarah. All my fault," Gwen said, pointing her wand at the girl again. _"Quietus!"_ Sarah's eyes darted appallingly over the room before slowly lowering her hands again.

"Okay?" she whispered softly.

Gwen shoved her wand back into her robes. "Yeah, you're fine now," she giggled.

Sarah smiled. "So now I can do the spell before I go to sleep and not have to worry about what I might say in the night."

"That's great," Anna said, feeling relieved for her friend. "No more worries, then?"

"Nope. Although it did take me the entire day the first morning to get the counter spell to work. It's so much harder to do a spell without your voice," Sarah explained. "But now you don't have to worry about me talking in my sleep."

Anna's face fell. "I never said it bothered me. In fact, if you don't mind, I think I'd rather you didn't stop yourself from _seeing_ my future."

Sarah looked stunned. "But… I… thought…"

"Listen," Anna interrupted, "when you sent me that message before, it was really helpful. Frankly, I've been hoping to hear you speak in your sleep again. I kind of like having an early warning system sleeping right next to me." Sarah smiled appreciatively. She had never considered her ability as anything but dangerous.

"So if you don't mind," Anna continued, "I'd just as soon keep the sound turned up." Sarah's eyes began to well with tears.

"Are… you sure about this, Anna?"

"Quite sure."

"Schedules!" bellowed an Artisan Knight who had joined their group by the fire. She handed Gwen a piece of parchment. "Next term's schedule, Gwen… and I have… Sarah Bell," she handed Sarah her schedule, "and… Anna Grayson. There you go… enjoy."

Anna and Sarah leaned into one another to compare their schedules for the upcoming term. "Pretty much the same again, Sarah," Anna said, smiling triumphantly. "Look, we have Professor Bots this time for Muggle Studies." Gwen looked over at their schedules to check.

"Professor Bots? Oh you're so lucky! He's one of the nicest teachers here at the school. I've got her royal-hagness, the infamous Professor Wence." Anna and Sarah winced in reply. "Yeah… and she's every bit as bad as she sounds. Gave me lines last year for talking to Donald Riggins in class. 'I WILL STOP ACTING STUPID AROUND BOYS,'" she recalled, insulted. Sarah started to giggle.

"Oh my…" Anna said, still looking down at her schedule. She glanced over Sarah's shoulder and then pointed to the last line on the list. "Look… we've got flying lessons starting in February."

EIGHT

"Thirty-six… thirty-seven… thirty-eight… thirty-nine… forty. Forty-one…"

There came a long, lamented scream and then the rattling of bars. Cups and plates of food, just delivered, were slammed against the wall by some, and ravaged by the rest. A crimson-cloaked guard patrolled the gap between the barred cells containing those prisoners considered safe enough to see each other.

"Come over here, laddie," said a bearded man in molded rags. He had an arm outstretched through the bars. "Let me have a look at your pretty little stick."

The young guard, who the violent ones liked to call _pretty-boy_, ignored the man, gripping his wand tight in the pocket of his robes as he walked past.

"Come on, boy, just a peek, ay?"

The guard said nothing. His mind was as far away from this dark place as it could be, strolling the imaginary tree-lined pathway of his parent's home. The straight, slate path to their front door marked the way back to happiness and love, and all of the things that were missing in this retched place. He imagined his parent's front door embedded in the rock wall in front of him.

"One-hundred twenty-five… one-hundred twenty-six."

His slow monotonous steps finally brought his feet to the door's threshold; he stopped. The guard reached out to touch the invisible latch only his mind's-eye could see; he jiggled it to confirm the door was still locked. _Mom and Dad are safe inside_, he thought, renewing his resolve. He lifted his right foot and, placing his toe behind the heel opposite, he turned with a snap to face the other way. For the briefest moment, he saw the cells to his left and right and the faces of those watching his every move, staring out at him like a mob of hungry vampires. His gaze dropped to the thin yellow line down the center of the stone floor ending at a steel gate on the other side. He paused, and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the horrible place around him had melted away and had turned into the blissful pathway of his home again. The steel gate had transformed itself into the white picket fence to the street where he grew up; he smiled. He stepped forward as one of the prisoners in the cell next to him counted his steps.

"One… two… three… four… five… six… seven…"

As the guard passed the first cell, the prisoner in the next took up the count.

"Eight… nine… ten… eleven… twelve… thirteen… fourteen…"

He couldn't hear them. Once again, his mind had escaped. While his body remained… the part of him that protected his sanity was guarding his parent's home from these sick and brutal men. He concentrated solely on the white fence at the end of the pathway and nothing else.

"Sixty-two… sixty-three… sixty-four… sixty-five…"

For a brief moment, his mind suddenly slipped, and in that instant he found himself asking the same old questions. _How did I get here? How did I go from my parent's home to this place? I worked so hard. I was a model student at Castlewood, a Knight. I was well liked and one of the top students in my class at the Law Enforcement Institute. My Captain told me I would go far… but first… he said I had to pay my dues._

"Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one-hundred. One-hundred and one… one-hundred and two…"

_Two more days and it'll be over until next month. By Saturday, I'll be enjoying the 'good duty' upstairs, walking the ramparts outside in the sunshine. I hope it's warmer than it was last month._

"One-hundred twenty-three… one-hundred twenty-four… one-hundred twenty-five… one-hundred twenty-six."

The guard stopped at the metal gate. He reached out and rattled the latch. _S__till locked — still safe –– all is well. _His parents didn't have to worry about this ugly and murderous throng so long as he was here. He turned again with a snap.

"Hundred twenty-six again!" yelled a toothless old man in the last cell, and the rest of the villains cheered and banged on the bars with their cups. A prisoner on the other side abruptly stuck his hand out to the guard.

"Congratulations, my boy, you just broke your old record! That's seventeen times in a row at one hundred and twenty-six steps. Ruddy brilliant! Let me be the first to congratulate you." The guard, in a rare moment of consciousness, turned his head to look at the prisoner. The man jerked his hand still further out to shake. The guard looked down at the hand just a few feet away. It looked bruised and filthy, the nails black. It was the hand of death, attached to the Reaper himself –– easily proven if he was foolish enough to touch it. The guard smiled and then turned his gaze back to the yellow line and the far off wall. He focused his mind once more on the fragrant smells of his home, and watched the cells to his left and right dissolve away. The tree-lined path appeared once more and the front door of his parent's house was there.

"One… two… three… four… five… six… seven…"

The man in the first cell laughed. "The boy's a machine," he yelled, pressing his face hard into the bars. "A bloody head of gears!"

"Come on, Laddie," said the bearded man again, "let me see your pretty little stick. Oh… if I just had a pretty wand like that, I would be as free as a bird in no time. Please, boy, just give us a peek… ay?"

"Forty-two… forty-three… forty-four… forty-five… forty-six…"

Two floors down, shrieks of self-induced terror were mixed with the sounds of patients throwing themselves against their padded rooms.

"Look, I'm a dragon!" yelled a man in chains. "I'm gonna huff and puff, and tear you head off –– ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhhhh-heh-heh-heh…"

Four floors down, the guards were rushing into a cell to control a patient intent on strangling himself with the tentacles whipping about from his own head.

Five floors down, there is only howling despair and complete blackness.

Nine floors down, in the deepest dungeons of Drogo prison, a hideous and cackling voice could be heard resonating through the gloom-filled hallways.

"The Dark Lord is coming… I can feel his touch growing stronger. We who are his faithful servants will soon be rewarded." The woman let out an ugly, revolting laugh that reverberated through the walls outside her door.

"Shut up –– you old hag!" yelled another voice from the adjoining room next to her.

"My master… is coming. His power is immeasurable!" the woman screeched.

"I said, shut up!"

Another man's voice, as gentile as the gentleman he thought himself to be, spoke out. "Leave the poor woman be, Reggie. All she has are her delusions."

"I can't stand it anymore! Night after night, month after month, she's screaming the same thing. When's she gonna get it through her thick head that _You-Know-Who_ is dead. That fiend is never coming back!"

The other man in the room across from him laughed. Through his locked and bolted door, he gushed with his own brand of high speech. "Ahhh… but is the Dark Lord truly gone, Reggie? If he is… then why don't you call him by his real name? Let me hear you say it. Let me hear you say… Voldemort." The other man gasped at the sound of the name, and the man across the hall laughed in amusement under his breath. Suddenly, the woman's voice rang out again.

"How dare you say my master's name! You are not his disciple. You are not worthy to think upon him with your maggot-eaten, pathetic mind!" the woman shrieked, angrily. The man across the hall laughed through his door again.

"My dear… sweet… lady, are we not all disciples of evil in this place? For you see… evil comes in many different forms, all of which… I find to be… delicious."

207


	35. The Second Task

Chapter 35d30 – The Second Task

Chapter 35

The Second Task

ONE

The first week after the holiday at Castlewood was just like any other Anna had experienced at her Muggle school. The mood in the corridors was somber and rather muted following the excitement of the Christmas break. Anna often caught herself thinking longingly about her father and was doing so again when she received one more unexpected surprise on the last day of the first week. Returning to her room to retrieve a book, she was startled by a loud _clang_ from the Guardian counter above her door. As the hand on the face began to sweep around, the magical device sounded off with a rasp-filled _dong_ at every click of the count until finally shuddering to a stop with a clattering _k__a-chunk-ching_.

"Oh…my…God…" Anna gaped, looking up at the purple numbers blazing into view.

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[14]**_

Backing away in disbelief, Anna dashed down the staircase looking for Eric. When she reached the gathering space, she turned to see her brother marching down the center aisle with a long line of students in tow behind him. She could see his face beaming with delight. They were Guardians, all of them, Guardians. They halted in front of Anna while the other Servers in the hall crowded around them.

"Anna, we have ten more. Ten!" Eric couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"How…?" Anna stammered. "Why… where did they all come from? Why so many now?" The line of new Guardians parted to surround her.

"Apparently, several students have been thinking about joining us for quite a while, but waited to discuss it with their families over the holiday."

A seventh-year girl wearing new Guardian robes stepped up to Anna. "Hello, Anna. My name is Ines Valeria, formally of the Searcher Union."

"Janet Wardrop," said another girl, reaching out to shake Anna's hand.

"Isabel Lang." "Teresa Sinclair." "John Baird." "Joe Philias." "Arty Nelson." "John Gryskiewicz." "Marian Nelson." "Gabriel Laroche."

"I'm very glad to meet you, and… thank you… for doing this," Anna said, sincerely. She looked at Ines and smiled. "Especially you."

"Me?" the girl replied, smiling back. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well… you've been a Searcher almost seven years, and now you change Unions in your last semester at Castlewood?"

The girl grinned and then shrugged. "How do you know I'm not here for my own selfish reasons… as a way, perhaps, to advance my future career opportunities," Her joking smile turned serious as she looked at the group, "Someday… I believe the entire Wizarding world will be thankful for what we're starting here. I know I already am."

Eric stepped in. "Truer words were never spoken, but somehow I doubt the Mirror of Enlightenment would have joined you to us if your intentions were selfish. Welcome, Ines." He stuck out this hand and shook hers. "Welcome — all of you. I've already secured rooms for everybody upstairs. If you'd like to pair up, I'll have your things moved tonight."

TWO

After the fourth heavy snowfall in January, Anna's romance with the winter season had quickly worn off. The hallways inside the school were miserably cold and drafty, the great Union Halls always freezing. Still, through it all, Anna and Sarah considered themselves lucky. At least their room was facing the city inside the ramparts. It was common for the students with rooms facing the plateau to find ice forming on the inside of their windows on the coldest mornings.

But as the piercing cold of January passed into February, the weather turned appallingly bitter. Artic winds raced over the Pennsylvania Mountains and funneled their way through the tiny streets and alleys of Spellsburg, glazing the snow between the buildings like rivers of milky glass. Trying to stay warm, the students tripped and stumbled over each other in huddled groups as they made their way to their classes.

Anna never realized until then how far her father's efforts to merge electricity and magic at the mansion had improved their lives. While the fires within Castlewood were doing their best to keep up with the demand, she longed for a good Muggle heating system. At least their schools were always warm.

As Gwen had correctly predicted, _Muggle Subjects _was the most hated class at the school, and to Anna's surprise, even some of the students born to Muggle families were quick to agree how utterly useless these subjects now seemed to be to them. Why should they study mathematics, and physics, and chemistry? Why was it necessary to study Muggle philosophy and literature? Wasn't it difficult enough to understand the ways of wizards in the seven years given to them without having to waste their time with this trivial nonsense? Was it really necessary to understand Muggle economics and law? What was so important about geology?

As for Anna, she worked harder in Muggle Studies than in all of her other classes put together. For her, these subject validated a life she had already lived for so many years and wasn't quite ready to give up as part of her future. She was always mentally on guard; ready to hear the news it was time for her to go home, to go back to being a squib again. After all, her wizarding powers had only just awakened. Was it crazy to think they might disappear just as quickly? Suppose the magic that had given her this new life decided, like it did once before, that it didn't need her anymore? Muggle Studies might be the only thing left to prepare her for a life outside the Wizarding world. Anna ignored the complaints from the other students around her and concentrated her efforts along two paths: She would take in everything the school had to offer to become the best witch she could possibly be, but she would work just as hard in Muggle Studies… just in case.

As February slowly passed, two subjects were a part of nearly every conversation within the castle: the second task of the Triwizard Tournament to be held on February twenty-fourth, and the start of the upcoming swift-slalom season. It seemed the entire Wizarding world was as excited about the tournament as it had been with the recent Quidditch World Cup, and the success of the first task had aroused an unmatched level of anticipation going farther back than anybody could remember.

"What do you think the champions will have to do this time?" asked a boy of another in Anna's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"Who knows," shrugged his friend. "Maybe they'll make them fight some hideous giant," he added, raising his arms over his head in an animated and very amusing giant-like way.

Each of the students seemed to have a favorite champion. The boys of Castlewood liked Viktor Krum of Bulgaria, given his fame as a seeker in the recent Quidditch World Cup. The girls, on the other hand, seemed to be pulling for the French champion, Fleur Delacour. Gwen, not unexpectedly, was fond of Cedric Diggory. But this wasn't due to any impressive talent the champion from Hogwarts had shown thus far in the tournament. It was because, in Gwen's opinion, Cedric was absolutely the most gorgeous specimen of manhood she had ever seen in her life, with the possible exception, of course, of Eric Grayson.

For Anna, she found herself inspired by Harry Potter. While everybody agreed young Harry had done remarkably well in the first task against the Hungarian Horntail, it was the way the boy was able to get to his egg without attacking the dragon that had impressed Anna the most. Since the day she first saw him competing in the tournament, Anna often wondered if Potter might have become a Guardian had he been studying at Castlewood. Then there was the fact that Harry was younger than all the other champions, which, according to the local odds-makers, continued to put _the-boy-who-lived_ at a disadvantage in the tournament. Yes, things were stacked against Potter, and that fact alone gave Anna all the incentive she needed to support him as her favorite champion.

But if the excitement of the Triwizard Tournament wasn't enough to warm the students in the first freezing weeks February, the beginning of the swift-slalom season certainly did. Anna paid the sport's enthusiasts little attention until the day of her first flying lesson, which was scheduled to take place inside Slalom Stadium on the plateau's west pitch. The thought of learning to fly was very exciting to Anna. She had often heard Eric speaking of like a magical right of passage. Deep down, however, it was probably her sister's revulsion of flying that made Anna's desire to do it well all the more important.

Sarah Bell, on the other hand, was terrified at the very thought of flying, and Anna understood why. After all, it was only a few months earlier that Sarah was living a normal, all be it confused, life with her Muggle family in Minnesota. She had no idea the Wizarding world even existed, or that her future would include flying without any physical means of supporting herself. Sarah counted down the days to their first lesson as if they were her last scheduled days to breathe, and Anna often pondered amusingly if Sarah's abilities as a _Seer_ included predicting her own demise.

Finally, the day of their first lesson had arrived, and on a crisp Monday morning the first-year Guardians and Servers huddled their way across the icy plateau toward Slalom Stadium. The sky was a bright cloudless blue, and the snow-covered evergreens shown like porcelain in the forest surrounding Spellsburg. They entered the stadium to find Mr. Kingston unloading a stack of doors from a trolley and arranging them in neat rows in the center of the field.

"Hello Jeremiah," Anna said, brightly. "Need any help with those?" Mr. Kingston looked up and smiled. His weathered, old face told the story of a man who had worked his entire life outside and never regretted it.

"Well now… if it isn't Anna Grayson, looking for another way to get her feet off the ground," he chuckled as the rest of the class gathered around them. "I saw you practicing on Swooper yesterday. You're really starting to get the hang of those left rolls," he mused, handing her one of the doors.

"Yeah… yesterday was a good day. Swooper was in perfect form," she agreed, taking another door from him and handing it to student behind her.

"Ahhh… but today is going to be better –– clear skies, little to no wind, an excellent day for your first flying lesson. Any of you planning on trying a broom today? I have several in the front of the trolley." Two of the students raised their hands and Jeremiah, looking somewhat dejected, shook his head.

"The quidditch teams won't be happy to see so few of you willing to go on brooms. They're having a heck of a time getting good fliers to join their teams this year."

"Maybe they should switch to doors, then," suggested a dark-haired girl in the front. Kingston bristled.

"What? And break with all tradition? Not a chance. Some things are more important than following all of these new fads."

"New fads?" the girl argued. "But the west has been using doors to fly for hundreds of years. My father says they're a lot safer than…"

"I'm afraid that until more of you are willing to take up a broomstick, the U.S. will never even make it past the regional finals for the Quidditch World Cup," Kingston replied, cutting the girl off.

"I don't want to play quidditch — I want to slalom," yelped a thick-necked boy excitedly from the back.

There was a sudden WHOOSH over their heads, and a formation of three fliers on flattened doors zipped across the open field. The students pointed and _oooooed_ in sharp whispers.

Mr. Kingston tutted loudly, rolling his eyes, "I can't imagine why," he said, sardonically.

One of the fliers broke away from the group and headed back. "Good morning class!" said a man, swooping around them in a tight circle before finally landing lightly in their center. A tall, graying wizard in black robes stepped off the door to survey them.

"My name is Norris Barclay, and I'll be your flying instructor today. How's everybody feeling this morning? Ready to give it a go?" The group seemed split between those eager to try and the rest, including Sarah Bell, whose opinion ranged from _I'm_ _not sure_ to _absolutely not._

"First, let me set your mind at ease by telling you we'll be dividing you up into three groups this morning. The first group will be for the more traditionalists among us who wish to train on brooms. Mr. Kingston will be your coach today, and you'll be setting up on the south side of the field over there. The second group will be for those afraid of heights or, for any reason, are hesitant about doing this. You will be training with one of our seventh-year seniors, Mr. Combs." Another boy floated in from overhead on a door to land next to Barclay.

"Marty Combs is a member of the Defenders' swift-slalom team and a really superb flyer. But don't let his obvious skills fool you today. I was here when he took his first lesson, and I don't think I've ever seen a more terrified beginner." The boy named Marty Combs chuckled, and then nodded at the group agreeably. "But as you will soon see, he's turned out to be brilliant.

"So… we'll have the brooms follow our Mr. Kingston over there, and the rest of you will queue in behind Mr. Combs or myself." The groups broke up quickly, and soon Anna was standing with a small handful of eager fliers around Mr. Barclay.

"Right, then…" he said, looking around at the group, "so you're the maniac, speed-demons of the class, ay?" They all laughed. "Well… let's not waste this beautiful day. Go and pick yourself out a door. You'll want the arched end to the front, of course. If you're right footed, I want you standing on the left side of your door, if you're left footed –– you'll begin on the right. Come on –– let's go," he said, clapping his hands eagerly. The students each picked out a door and took their positions.

"Now then. We're going to start with the proper stance." He positioned himself to the left of his door, and then set his right foot in the center of the flattened panels. His left foot followed. Toes pointed toward the front and his left foot slightly behind the right, he bent his knees into a funny little squat.

"This is the proper look you'll favor starting out." Anna couldn't help snickering to herself. She thought Barclay looked rather silly, almost poised to leap off the door at the first sign of trouble.

"So — what are you waiting for, a written invitation? Let's see what you can do. Take your positions."

Each of them stepped onto their door to assume the squatty pose. Anna felt absurd. It felt to her like her body was trying to find some invisible chair seated somewhere behind her. Barclay went around tugging at several ankles and adjusting their foot position to suit his eye.

"Right, very good. Now then… I'm going to ask each of you to reach down with your weak foot and push off. Do it with as little pressure as you can. I don't want anybody taking off on us. Your door should rise slightly off the ground just a few inches." He resumed his pose again on his own door and then softy pushed off. He slowly rose off the ground to hover just a few inches in the air. "You'll need to get the feel of things before you get too high. When you're up, press gently down on the front to move forward. The harder you press the faster you'll go. You lean left and right to turn, and then back to slow and brake. Got it?" They all nodded. "Okay, let's see what you can do," he said challengingly, and they all resumed their positions. "Remember what I said, and… gently… kick off." Each of the students reached down and pushed the ground away.

Immediately, the scene was bedlam. A yelp of surprise was followed by a number of screams as bodies began to tumble to the ground. One boy started windmilling his arms frantically before doing a back summersault to his chest, his door caroming into the feet of another boy who crashed with a thud onto his panels. The door he was riding shot across the open field with the boy screaming in tow. Swerving at the last minute to avoid crashing into the bleachers, he disappeared through one of the stadium's open gates. Mr. Barclay, looking very irritated, snapped his fingers at an assistant overhead who sped off after the boy. The remaining doors, now absent of their riders, began to jerk and shudder aimlessly across the field.

As soon as Anna felt her door lift off the ground, she could feel her balance shift and sway out of control. Her feet instinctively popped sideways to center themselves in a more familiar position. The door rocked left and right, and tilted forward and back in a slow gyrating circle. Anna squatted low, raising her arms to steady herself. She pressed down with her toes and heels to remain aloft until the door settled itself into a quiet hover.

"Miss Grayson, that's not the proper stance," yelled Barclay, watching her from the side. "Fix it — now!" He looked over at another student who, despite his best efforts to stop, was slowly creeping away from the group. "Mister Donavan, get your left foot back or we'll be picking you up out of the bleachers." Two more riders suddenly fell to the ground with a loud _oooofff_, while the rest of the class, still brushing the snow off their robes, started to giggle.

Anna was struggling again to remain centered. She tried pointing her toes forward as instructed, but immediately started to lose control again. Falling backward, her feet moved to recover and popped to the side once more to keep herself from tumbling off.

"Miss Grayson, what in the world are you doing? That's the most absurd stance on a door I have ever seen in my life."

Combs walked over to watch Anna, balancing precariously on her door in her strange sideways stance. "Odd as it is… it does seem to be working for her, doesn't it?" he said, appraisingly.

Barclay shook his head. "Ridiculous! All right, Grayson, have it your way. Try pressing on the front of your door to move ahead."

"It's just like surfing!" Anna yelped gleefully, and her arms began to waver a bit as she slid her right foot forward.

"It's just like… what?" bellowed Barclay, frowning impatiently back at her.

Anna pressed down on the front of the door and slowly began to move forward. She leaned left, right, slowed, and then moved forward again.

Combs shook his head. "Have you ever seen anything as crazy as that?"

Barclay was grumbling. "Preposterous! She'll be completely blind to those on her right, and I'll be the butt of every joke in Spellsburg."

Anna was completely lost in the rapture of what she was doing. She was actually flying. No engines, no gigantic wings flapping under her, just the subtle sound of the wind through her hair and robes. Before she knew it, Anna found herself on the other side of the stadium and banking to turn, testing her ability to bring forth what was familiar and improve her control. It worked to perfection, and when the arched nose of her door had righted itself once more, Anna smiled and crouched low. Shrugging off any remaining fear, she slammed her right foot down and rocketed forward. The feeling was euphoric. It was surfing without the thunder of the waves beneath her. She could do this; it was as simple as mastering the two-foot swells on the calmest day back home. She covered the distance back to the group in a flash, circling around and rising out of her crouch to finally stop.

Barclay looked unimpressed. "That'll do, Grayson. Unorthodox as that stance of yours is –– I suppose it's effective," he said, with a hint of revulsion still lingering in his voice. He signaled to another rider floating high above the stadium and a fourth-year boy circled down to join them.

"Bobby, be a good lad, and take Grayson here into the field for a couple of turns."

The boy looked at Anna standing sideways on her door and chuckled. "If you say so, sir. Follow me…" he said, looking at Anna skeptically. He slowly turned and then shot forward. Anna smiled and set off after him.

They flew high into the air until they came upon a series of red and blue poles, standing upright in the breeze. Anna followed the boy through a series of corners, right around the red poles and left around the blue. More poles came into view, yellow and green this time, lying flat in the air. Anna watched the boy moving through his turns and realized he was flying over the green poles and then under the yellow. She mirrored his every move.

When they finished the first lap around the course, Anna saw the boy looking down at Barclay again who was motioning for them to continue. The boy nodded and then looked back.

"All right, _eggie_, you'll try not to fall off, won't you?" he said, with a smirk. He shot forward with a sudden burst of speed that left Anna looking shocked. She stomped down on the front of the door and exploded after him, crouching low as she gathered speed. Soon she was right behind him again, zipping through the course, around the red and blue poles, over and under the green and yellow. Anna was beaming. It was like surfing through the pylons under one of the abandon peers near her home. She zigged and dipped effortlessly through two more laps before seeing the signal to return to the ground. Feeling somewhat disappointed, Anna reluctantly followed the boy down and circled the group to a stop.

"That'll do, Grayson," snapped Barclay, staring at her feet with a look of dismay still lingering on his face, "but it escapes me how you can stay aloft in that strange stance of yours." He looked at the boy Anna had been following. "Whatdaya say, Bobby? Think we should bring her out on the weekends?" The boy looked at Anna and shrugged uncaringly.

"Right. Grayson –– slalom practice for invited students is held every Saturday and Sunday morning at nine o'clock. If you're interested, I'll inform your Union Knight of the invitation."

"Yes, sir. Thank you," she replied, enthusiastically.

"Don't thank me yet. It'll be a lot of extra work and time out of your studies, and first-years are never allowed to participate in any slalom events. It'll probably be at least a year or two before you get a chance to race… if ever." He sighed grudgingly. "It'll probably take that me long to break you out of that ridiculous stance of yours, but… if you're willing to put in the work, you might get your shot." He turned to the rest of the class. "The same invitation will go out to you, Donavan." The boy beamed with delight, punching the boy next to him in the shoulder.

"As for the rest of you, keep practicing. We will have riders out here every weekday morning thirty minutes after sunup to help you with the basics, all right? You'll need to remain upright on your door for a minimum of five minutes by the end of the year to pass this course. For those of you on brooms, the standards are quite a bit higher.

As they headed back to the castle, Anna was thrilled about their first flying lesson. She couldn't properly describe to Sarah the feeling of sailing through the air on a silent wave, and the excitement of darting around the floating poles.

For her part, it had also been a glowing morning for Sarah Bell as well. Surprising herself more than anybody, she had already nearly reached the five-minute standard by the end of the class. Sarah attributed her success to her love of skiing and snowboarding, and was thrilled to know that something she had enjoyed so much as a Muggle was helping her to become a better witch. The two girls agreed they would return to Slalom Stadium every morning that week to practice.

THREE

On the predawn twilight morning of February twenty-fourth, the entire school headed down to Vollucross Stadium for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. The odds-makers of Spellsburg were displayed in their finest yellow robes once more under the torch-lit streetlamps along the way, and boisterous crowds were snappishly bartering for better odds. Anna, Sarah, Gwen, and TJ quickly made their way through the yelling crowds and headed for the plateau, reading the scribbled signs in several of the shops along the way that said, _Closed for the Second Task_.

The Allegheny Pride had docked several times in the middle of the night, dropping off thousands of sleepy but excited visitors who were cycling up a continuous stream of tramcars and filling the station house. Wizards and witches of every sort were animatedly discussing the tournament as they approached the city gates through the massive Union walls. As the girls followed the crowd, they stared at the sea of glowing tents under the morning stars, covering the plateau outside. There were hundreds and hundreds of makeshift canvas shelters set in neat rows that weren't there the day before. The crowds made their way through the grassy pathways between the tents, following the corner lampposts and mounted signs with names like Apple Cannon Way, Niffler's Pass, and several French and Bulgarian streets that Anna couldn't pronounce.

"What happened to all the snow?" Sarah asked in amazement, looking around at the damp green grass surrounding them.

"Oh… Thordarson always cleans up a bit before these big events," said Gwen, who was eyeing a brawny, shirtless young man, yawning and stretching at the door of his tent.

Anna noticed several people staring and pointing at them before hearing an old witch in a leather wrap commenting on the color of Gwen's robes. It was only then that Anna realized, for many of the visitors at the school, this was probably the first time they had ever seen a Guardian.

They waited in line to enter the stadium's iron gates, and then found their seats among the excited throng in the middle section of the bleachers overlooking the field's center. Soon the stadium was filled once more to near capacity as the entire town and their visitors slowly squeezed in. A short time later, Chancellor Thordarson and Mayor Ulric were seen entering the stadium just a few seats away under a large canopy, which was glowing a bright, turquoise-blue beneath the morning moon. As the two men found their seats, Professor Bots stood and raised his wand to this throat.

"_Sonorous!"_ he said, excitedly, and his voice began to boom deafeningly over the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens, students and guests, the Honorable Mayor Ulric of Spellsburg and Chancellor Thordarson of Castlewood Academy would like to welcome all of you back to Vollucross Stadium and today's second task of the legendary Triwizard Tournament." The crowd roared with excitement.

"As many of you already know, very few details have come out of England on what we can expect to see from Hogwarts today, and I understand the local odds-makers are taking three-to-one wagers on trolls… but we shall see." The crowd laughed and cheered again, and Mayor Ulric could be seen enthusiastically holding up his own small piece of parchment.

"I believe everything is ready for us now. So without further delay… we take you once again… to Hogwarts!" Bots raised his wand into the air and bellowed, "_Projectius Visum Hogwarts!"_

The dawning purple sky darkened to black before bursting forward once more over a crisp, blue English morning far away. As it had done before, the projector's eye swooped over the many spiral turrets of Hogwarts before diving low across a magnificent, glassy lake sitting below the castle. Pelting across the surface of the water, the crowd gasped as the tentacle of something enormous suddenly lifted out of the water to snatch at them. The view finally settled over a number of bleachers surrounding the opposite bank of the lake, and a crowd of smiling faces dressed in black robes could be seen waving at them. Many of the students were lifting banners in the air that said, GO HOGWARTS, and HOGWARTS CHAMPIONS ARE THE BEST! And then a familiar British voice thundered into Vollucross stadium.

"Hello again to everybody in the Wizarding world watching this projection of the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. This is Patrick O'Shea coming to you live-by-magic from Hogwarts, the legendary school of witchcraft and wizardry, here in merry ol' England." The scene overhead changed to show a buoyant, portly man, speaking once again into his wand like a microphone.

"Good morning everyone, and welcome back to Hogwarts. It's a beautiful cold day here for our champions, as we look to begin the second of what will be three wizarding tasks. But before we start, let me bring in my co-host once again for today's competition, my good friend, Mr. Beetle Mantooth."

The same thin man they had seen during the first task stepped into the picture overhead and nodded. He was wearing red robes this time, but the same beaming smile. "Good morning, Beetle. It's great to have you back for the second task, but I have to say… the champions will have to work pretty hard today to top what we saw last November, ay?"

The other man nodded as he spoke into his wand. "Absolutely, Pat. By all accounts, the champions had a brilliant first task, and the Ministries putting this tournament together couldn't be happier with the excitement this contest is generating."

"So what do we know about the task today?" asked O'Shea, smiling back at the projector.

"Well — as you know, Pat, the details about today's second task have been a closely guarded secret ever since the end of the first task before Christmas. This was because the champions were expected to figure out the clues given to them within the golden eggs that they captured from the dragons. But we're happy to report the veil of secrecy has finally been lifted, and we've been told by Mr. Ludo Bagman what we can expect to see this morning." He paused teasingly.

"Go on, then… don't keep our audience in suspense, Beetle," said O'Shea, bouncing on his toes excitedly. "Tell us what's happening!"

The tall man laughed. "Right you are, Pat. The second task is going to test the competitor's resourcefulness and magical abilities underwater. We have learned that the clue given within the golden egg has informed our champions that something important has been taken from each of them. They will have exactly one hour to retrieve what was taken, which is now sitting somewhere at the bottom of the lake."

O'Shea frowned. "Oh… well, that doesn't sound too bad, Beetle. I suppose the toughest part would be figuring out how to stay under water long enough to complete the task."

"Oh –– if only it were that simple, Pat. Because what our champions don't realize yet is that the thing taken from them is actually a person –– somebody they personally know and care about. It could be a friend, a classmate, or even a member of their own family being held hostage by the lake's resident _merpeople_."

"Oh dear," Patrick groaned, looking nervously out at the lake below them. "I do hope our champions aren't late in getting to those hostages down there."

Beetle laughed. "Not to worry, my friend," he replied, patting the other commentator on the shoulder. "The audience should know that the hostages are in no danger whatsoever. In agreement with our Ministry judges, the lake's merpeople have guaranteed the captives won't be harmed, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts has placed the proper incantations on our brave volunteers at the bottom of the lake to insure their safety at all times."

"Oh… well… that's a relief," O'Shea sighed, turning back to the projector. "So — while the rest of us catch our breath, let's show the folks back home who the judges will be for today's event."

Moving portraits of the judges suddenly expanded to fill the sky above the Spellsburg stadium, and Beetle introduced each of them in turn. The last judge was a new face the audience had not seen during the first task.

"And finally, we have Mr. Percy Weasley, Assistant to the Director of England's International Magical Cooperation. Mr. Weasley will be sitting in for his boss, Bartemius Crouch, who is out with an unexpected illness. We all know how important this tournament was to Mr. Crouch, so our prayers for a speedy recovery go out to him.

"And there you have it, Pat, our five judges for today's event. For those who might have missed the first Triwizard task, let me take the time once again to reintroduce our brave and talented champions."

Four familiar faces filled the sky above the stadium to a jubilant roar of applause. When the champion from Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory, was introduced, Gwen exaggerated a swoon into Anna's lap.

"Calm down," Anna giggled, pushing her friend straight again.

"Ohhh… he's soooo gorgeous. Now that's a champion if ever I've seen one."

When Beetle had finished telling the audience about the champions, Patrick O'Shea suddenly stepped into the picture again. He seemed out of breath.

"Thank you… Beetle… for those updates. Well… I've just come from the field, ladies and gentlemen, and it would seem one of our champions has gone missing. Harry Potter, who did so remarkably well for us in the first task, it seems is a no-show this morning."

"Ahhh, well, that is a shame," said Beetle, looking discouraged. "Although Potter was longest on odds to win this tournament, his daring and skill against the dragon in the first task gathered him quite a following on top of being the sentimental favorite."

Anna slumped into her seat disappointedly as Gwen leaned in. "Well… it would seem Cedric has one less champion to worry about, doesn't he?" she said, with a grin. Anna glared back disapprovingly.

"It is a disappointment, Beetle," O'Shea continued. "But, as you said before, this competition would be extraordinarily difficult for the best of wizards, never mind a fourth-year student. I suppose Potter couldn't come up with a way to remain underwater for the period of time necessary to succeed in his task and thus… had to bow out. Oh well… maybe that will quiet the continuing controversy about Hogwarts competing with two champions then, eh?"

There was a building roar of cheers emanating from the crowd at Hogwarts and the two commentators turned to see what was happening. Smiling and nodding excitedly to each other, they turned back to the projector again.

"It would seem we might have been too quick to judge Harry Potter. We see him now, running across the lawn toward the lake below us. It looks like the boy who conquered _You-Know-Who_ is intent on competing this morning after all." The crowd in Spellsburg started to cheer, including Anna.

"There… you see?" Anna said, nudging Gwen in the ribs. "We're not giving up anything to Diggory yet." Gwen, looking rather bored, shrugged indifferently.

They could see Harry coming out of a dead run before sliding to a stop in front of the judges' table. He was clutching his side. Some of the judges watching him didn't seem all that pleased with his late appearance.

"And now we see Mr. Bagman separating the champions properly around the edge of the lake, and it looks like… yes… we're definitively getting ready to begin. So let's switch you now to Mr. Bagman of England's Department of Magical Games and Sports for the start of the second task. Take it away, Ludo!"

The projector switched to a portly man standing next to the judges' table. He was raising his wand to his throat to increase his voice and his words echoed throughout the stadium in Spellsburg.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then: One...two... three!" There was a long and piercing shrill.

The projector above the stadium swiftly split itself into four panels, each centered on one of the champions. Three of the competitors immediately raised their wands as the commentators began describing what each was doing.

"And so, it begins," said O'Shea. "It looks like… yes… Mr. Diggory has created a magnificent Bubble-Head Charm. That'll do the trick, all right. Brilliant move by the Hogwarts champion!"

"Miss Delacour is also using the Bubble-Head Charm, Pat," added Beetle, pointing down at the lake. Sure enough, the French champion was twirling her wand over her head, which produced a perfectly round ball of glass incasing her entire head. She drove into the lake just behind Cedric.

"Merlin's beard… what in the Wizarding world is that?" yelped O'Shea, and the projector immediately zoomed in on Viktor Krum. In a blur of bending light, he was transforming grotesquely into some kind of hideous creature, and everybody in the audience leaned forward trying to see what the champion from Bulgaria was doing.

"What do you suppose…?" Anna whispered aloud.

Gwen's head tottered side to side, trying to figure out what they were seeing. "Eeeeeooowww…. something with gills, I think," she said, curling her lip.

"Good lord," gasped Beetle in amazement. "He's turning into a shark. Now that'll be some nifty transfiguration right there if he can… oh dear."

The crowd watched in horror as Krum's fish transformation suddenly stopped at his shoulders. He was half man, half shark; his face hideously replaced by an enormous mouth filled with sharp teeth and the top of his head a pointed snout. His blackened eyes rolled to the sides of his head and bulged grotesquely. Without warning, the boy dove into the iron-colored water and disappeared under a brewing layer of bubbles.

"And there he goes!" yelled O'Shea, who looked over at the other commentator. "Here's hoping that half-hearted bit of transfiguration holds up for the champion from Durmstrang," he breathed, skeptically.

"He's lookin' like that large-mouth, channel cat by brother Johnnie Ray yanked outta the Soapasee River," TJ said next to Gwen. She looked at them, grinning. "The water there's so polluted, the Muggles are findin' eight-legged frogs by the sud banks."

But everybody's attention had now shifted to Harry Potter who had already taken off this shoes and socks and was looking to pull something out of his pocket. He started to wade into the lake while stuffing his mouth with what looked like soggy handfuls of dirty shoelaces. As if sensing the audience's curiosity, the projector zoomed in on what Harry was doing.

"It seems Potter is… ah," mumbled O'Shea, watching the boy intently, "to tell you the truth… I've no idea what our youngest champion is doing down there. What do you make of it, Beetle?"

The other man, looking totally bewildered, shook his head. "I… can't… be sure… but Potter seems to be… eating something."

Finding his voice again, O'Shea straightened. "Let's go down to our Hogwarts student-reporter near the lake's edge, Lee Jordan. What are you seeing down there, Lee?" The projector suddenly switched to a boy with long dreadlocks, dressed in black robes and earmuffs, standing next to the judges' table. The boy turned to face the projector and began speaking into his wand.

"We're all just as confused down here as everybody else about what Harry is doing, Pat," the boy said, excitedly. "Let me see if I can get a comment out of one of the judges.

"Mr. Bagman? Mr. Bagman, sir, can you tell us what Harry is doing? He seems to be eating something… but… we can't tell what it is." Ludo Bagman jerked up with a look of shared confusion before realizing the projector was focused upon him. His face suddenly brightened as he presented his best toothy smile.

"Oh… well… ah… it would seem… Harry… is ah…" he looked nervously toward the other judges. Weasley and Karkaroff looked just as confused as Bagman. Madame Maxime, who took up half the judges' table, was grimacing revoltedly at Harry's worm-like snack.

"Gillyweed," came a soft voice, and everybody turned to see Professor Dumbledore smiling triumphantly.

"Gillyweed?" Bagman repeated, uncertainly.

"What's Gillyweed, Mr. Bagman?" snapped Lee Jordan, still standing next to him. Bagman turned to the reporter and then, recovering quickly, smiled once more at the projector.

"Oh… well… ah … gillyweed… is… ahh… a magical substance, of course, … that… ahhh."

"A Mediterranean water plant that allows the wizard consuming it to breathe underwater for up to one hour," said Professor Dumbledore serenely.

The rest of the judges began writing on their scrolls as Lee Jordan turned excitedly back to the projector. "Did you hear that, Pat?" he barked happily. "Harry Potter is eating something called gillyweed that will allow him to breathe underwater."

"Brilliant!" said the commentator to the switching projector. "It looks like young Harry has come to this second task well-prepared after all, Beetle."

"Right you are, Pat. And now we can see Potter struggling to breathe. It looks as if the transformation he was hoping for is finally taking effect." The audience in the stadium watched as Harry began grasping his throat in obvious pain. He suddenly drove forward into the lake and disappeared from view.

"And there he goes!" yelled O'Shea, bending over his desk to see. "Harry Potter is last to enter the lake following the other champions." The two men heaved back with a look of relief on their faces before turning to the audience once more. "So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Once again, I think it's fair to say these champions have impressed everyone with their understanding of the magic required in this task and the boldness with which they've carried themselves onward. How 'bout it, Beetle?"

"I completely agree, Pat. The Bubble-Head charm is a favorite standard among witches and wizards working underwater. When I heard about the details of this task, it was the first thing that came into my mind as an obvious solution. But I am somewhat concerned about Mr. Krum's use of his shark transfiguration. It seemed rather incomplete to me as he entered the lake. And Harry Potter's use of gillyweed… now that's a completely unexpected element in today's competition. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next."

"And speaking of watching what happens," continued O'Shea, "we'll be monitoring all of our champions underwater as they search for the hostages. We have stationed several projectors in the lake to track our competitors throughout their journey."

The picture above Spellsburg stadium abruptly changed to display four panels, each showing a champion swimming underwater, and a fifth panel in the center containing the hostages. The audience pointed at the hostages who were tied to the tail of a giant, stone statue in what looked like the center of an underwater village. The shadow of something quick darted passed their view, and the crowd gave out a long _ooooohhh_ in surprise when the dark silhouette turned to face them.

It was a merman. He looked foreboding with olive-gray skin and fine green hair that streamed and drifted like a cloud of weeds behind him. His bright yellow eyes flashed menacingly over his shoulder at the projector as he propelled himself along with a muscular, silver-scaled tail. Several merpeople could be seen circling the hostages with long spears tipped with sharp stone. They were singing an eerie, almost hypnotic song.

"An hour long you'll have to look,  
And to recover what we took.  
Your time's half gone, so tarry not  
Lest what you seek stays here to rot."

Streams of tiny bubbles could be seen leaking from the hostages' mouths, their limp bodies looking lifeless as their heads lulled back and forth in the murky current. Three girls and one boy, tied tight to the statue's tail, appeared to be unconscious.

In the four panels surrounding the scene, the audience watched the champions racing through the dark water in a desperate search for the hostages. Thin dotted lines below the swimmers showed their actual progress in the direction to the center of the lake. Some of the lines, like that of Cedric Diggory, showed him heading dead on course. Fleur Delacour's line was moving away from the center, away from the hostages, while Krum and Potter were swimming too far to the north.

"As we can clearly see, it looks like Mr. Diggory has taken an early lead," said O'Shea, pointing at the dotted lines under each of the champions.

"Ooooooh, a man with a strong sense of direction," Gwen cooed, loud enough for Anna to hear. "Good looks and brains too. I like that."

Soon the girls were settled into their seats and, wrapping their robes tight against the bitter cold, they huddled close to watch the champions' progress. In time, several steaming cups of coffee and hot cocoa were being passed around as the commentators, sensing a lull in the action, tried to keep the audience entertained.

"So Beetle, why don't you tell the viewers back home about your last trip to Romania? I understand you were asked to track down a dragon that had escaped from its restricted area."

The other man smiled bashfully, but didn't hesitate to tell them the story in the grandest possible detail. But despite the dragon hunter's best efforts, the audience's patience was as unforgiving as the bitter morning air.

"So I raised my wand at the beast as he bared his teeth at me, and then, just when he was about to snatch me off the cliff…" recounted Beetle, twirling his wand animatedly between his fingers with an air of someone who had practiced the story many times.

"Hold that thought, Beetle. It looks like we're finally seeing some action around one of the Hogwarts' champions, Mr. Diggory." The entire audience in Spellsburg jerked up and leaned forward to look into the panel containing the image of Cedric, who had abruptly stopped swimming and was frantically working to pull his wand out of his belt. His face was matted with determination as he began to wave something away in front of him.

"What do you suppose he's looking at?" asked O'Shea, glancing over at the other commentator.

"Obviously, there must be something blocking his path," replied Beetle, who was craning his neck as if to look inside the edge of the picture in front of them.

The audience screamed unexpectedly at the sight of a huge tentacle the size of a tree trunk sweep into view. The twisting, undulating arm was covered with saucer-size suction cups spilling down its length, resembling a table set for fifty. They opened and closed greedily, like so many hungry little mouths as the appendage uncoiled itself like a whip toward the champion.

O'Shea immediately stood. "Good Lord –– what in the magical world is that?"

Cedric tried to avoid the tentacle coming at him. He seemed to be angrily waving the beast off, his expected look of fear displaced by a furious rage.

Anna squinted hard at the image, concentrating on what she could see of the beast in the panel above them. Several others around her began screaming and pointing, but Anna could feel something odd and completely unexpected emanating from the creature.

Then, without warning, two more enormous arms shot forward and snatched Cedric into its clutches. The audience jumped and some covered their eyes, not wanting to see what was to become of the champion from Hogwarts. Cedric was clearly in pain. One of the creature's giant arms had clamped onto his back and neck, while another arm began wrapping itself tight around the boy's legs. It was drawing him toward its head, and when the huge monster finally fell into view, the audience shrieked in astounded horror. An enormous, giant-squid filled the panel, which grew to blanket the entire sky above the stadium in Spellsburg. Several more tentacles shot forward and wrapped themselves around Cedric's body, encasing him tight in its crushing grip.

An old woman sitting beside Sarah suddenly stood and shrieked, "It's going to eat him!" Her words sent a ripple of shock through the audience around her.

The beast was massive. Its eyes were larger than dinner plates, and its skin rippled with a blazing flame of luminous light that changed color excitedly. They could see its remaining arms unfolding fifty feet across as its mouth finally came into view. It opened wide, showing a hideous, black beak the size of a man's fist opening and clicking madly. The woman standing next to Sarah swayed and then fainted on top of the row of spectators in front of her.

"My God, Beetle," O'Shea whispered to the other commentator, "the boy's going to be eaten alive, and the judges seem oblivious to what's going on down there."

Many who were anxiously watching the scene were convinced he was right. For both the audience at Hogwarts and the judges themselves seemed completely unaware of the impending doom about to befall one of their champions. Only Albus Dumbledore seemed absorbedly focused on the lake. He was staring down at the water's surface fixedly, as if watching one of his students fighting for his life in the murky blackness below where he sat.

Beads of sweat were forming on Anna's brow as her concentration pressed forward, reaching out to touch the creature about to strip Cedric of his skin. Something wasn't right about what she was sensing from the beast as compared to what they were all seeing on the projector.

Cedric had somehow freed an arm from the creature's clutches and was pounding on one of the tentacles wrapped around his chest; his other hand holding his wand was clamped tight against his body. The creature was slowly drawing Cedric in and then in flash of sudden awareness Anna's mind locked on to what the beast was feeling. She smiled.

Gwen was beside herself. Lost in the moment, she was on her feet and screaming. "No… somebody do something. He's too handsome to die!"

Anna reached up and grabbed Gwen by the back of her robes and yanked her back down into her seat. "Will you shut up," she said, grinning. "Your Cedric isn't in any danger!" Gwen looked at Anna in shock and then up at the projection again. She pointed at the scene as she stared back at her friend in utter disbelief.

Anna smiled and shook her head. "No… danger…" she repeated, knowingly.

"Look at that!" yelled Patrick O'Shea, and those cowering behind their hands in the audience chanced to look up again to see Diggory was suddenly free. "The beast let the boy go! It's a miracle!"

Sure enough, Cedric had been unexplainably released from the creature's tentacles, and was frantically trying to swim away. Then, from out of nowhere, another revolving arm shot forward and clamped its suction cups on top of Cedric's Bubble-Head Charm. It began to shake the boy violently up and down, as if to remove the ball covering his head. Cedric was holding the sphere tight against his shoulders as the creature jerked and thrashed his body about. He pointed his wand at the beast and yelled something that sounded hollow and dull. A jet of yellow bubbles shot from his wand at the squid. Ducking quickly to avoid the blast, the creature released Cedric again and then disappeared into the gloom.

The audience began to yell desperately at Cedric, "Get out of there!" "Swim!" "Get away!"

But Cedric didn't move. His wand remained rigid in his outstretched hand, as his eyes peered apprehensively into the darkness around him. Then, without warning, a limb shot up from below and rapped the champion on the back. The audience jumped and screamed again. The beast was back, racing around the boy in spurts of jetting speed. Cedric was pointing his wand threateningly at the creature, trying again to wave the beast away. Another tentacle unexpectedly zipped out and thumped him on the back of the head before withdrawing once more.

"You know…?" Beetle toned in appraisingly, frowning up at the projection, "I think… the squid… might just be playing with him."

O'Shea looked at his colleague in dumbfounded shock. "Playing with him? Are you mad?" He looked again at the creature circling Diggory, which was rippling excitedly with an iridescent sheen that moved back and forth across its body like a wave. "You mean to tell me that thing… is just having a spot of fun?"

Beetle chuckled. "It would seem so. Look!"

Once again, the creature shot forward, this time spreading itself wide to engulf Cedric with its entire body. They could see the champion kicking and pounding through the outer skin of the monster before being turned over and squirt back out again. Cedric whirled about through the water and then spun around to right himself; he looked furious. He pointed his wand at the creature and this time he didn't hesitate. A boiling stream of bubbles shot forward from his wand, striking the squid right between the eyes. The beast lurched back in shock, looking surprisingly offended. Cedric pointed his wand again at the squid and shouted something through the crystal bubble surrounding his head. The beast spun around and, with one enormous blast of black ink, shot into the murky darkness and out of sight. It was gone. Cedric angrily snapped his wand down, looking leeringly into the gloom. Hesitating only once to look back over his shoulder, he swam away in the opposite direction.

Gwen fell back into her seat with a sigh of relief as she looked over to Anna. "How in the world could you have possibly known?" Anna smiled, looking up at Diggory now swimming toward the center of the lake and then back to Gwen.

"It was the way the creature was acting. It didn't seem dangerous… it just wanted to play with him, that's all." Gwen looked skeptical, but before she and the rest of the audience could catch their collective breath, the commentators were heralding trouble for yet another champion.

In the upper right panel, they watched Fleur Delacour struggling to free herself from two small, horned-creatures, trying angrily to drag the champion down into the weeds.

"Of all the rotten luck," O'Shea said. "It looks like the champion from Beauxbatons has been accosted by a couple of nasty grindylows."

"She'd better stay out of those weeds," Beetle added warningly. "There could be a lot more of them down there waiting for her."

Anna slowly stood with a look of worry and concern set on her face. Once again, her reaction to what she was seeing seemed out of step with the audience around her, most of which were pointing and laughing at Fleur's unexpected predicament.

"Get out of there…" Anna whispered, anxiously. Gwen was now standing next to her. She glanced over at Anna, and could tell by her friend's worried expression that something was terribly wrong.

"What is it?" Gwen asked her cautiously. "What are you seeing?"

Anna looked over at Gwen and frowned. "There are more of them… hiding in the weeds," she said with a hint of warning in her voice. She looked back up at Fleur who was struggling to stay out of the swaying grass below her. "They're in the weeds waiting for her." Gwen gasped and then looked up, but something else had suddenly grabbed Anna's attention in the panel containing Harry Potter. He had also stopped swimming and seemed to be talking to somebody unseen in front of him.

The rest of the audience appeared oblivious to what Potter was doing, and continued to laugh amusingly at Fleur struggling to free herself from the creatures dragging her down. As soon as Fleur's body touched the weeds, Anna's eyes darted back to her panel.

"They're coming…" she whispered.

"How many?"

Anna looked at Gwen and grimaced. "Uhhhhmm," she looked back up again, "all of them… I think."

Sure enough, Fleur was suddenly engulfed by an angry mob of grindylows shooting out of the weeds around her. Their pointed fangs bared, they seized the girl by the robes and began to drag her down and out of sight. The sudden appearance of so many of the beasts, and the sight of countless others leaping into the spot where the girl had disappeared, rudely shocked the laughing audience into stunned silence.

"Oh my goodness, Pat," said Beetle, grabbing his companion's shoulder. "She's in very serious trouble now. Get out of there, you fool!" he yelled, fearfully.

"Yes… get out…" Anna repeated. "Come on… move!"

For a second, Fleur appeared again and the audience shrieked in surprise at what they saw. At least twenty grindylows were clinging to her limbs and body, desperately trying to pull the girl back down. They were biting, scratching and attempting to choke her with her own robes, and Fleur was fighting back with a panicked viciousness few had ever seen in her.

"Yes… that's it… keep fighting. Get out of the weeds!" Anna yelled, watching the projector rising with the girl as she slowly fought her way back up.

"Oh, my God," said O'Shea, pointing at the surrounding weeds. From the top view looking down, they could see dozens of the creatures moving through the grass in the girl's direction. "She had better move before the rest of those devils can get to her…"

"Come on, girl. Swim – SWIM!" yelled Beetle, urgently.

Fleur was slashing her wand like a knife, shooting spells at every creature in sight. There was a pause and then a jet of boiling water blasted forward from her wand, scorching the weeds below down to the mud. Some of the creatures on her back were whacking and clawing at the sphere on her head, trying to remove it.

"Oh no! It looks like Harry Potter is in trouble too," yelled Beetle, and everybody turned to see Harry in his panel being grabbed by three more grindylows as he struggled desperately to free his wand from his robes. He pointed the wand down and screamed something undistinguishable in the water. A jet of red bubbles shot forward, hitting a grindylow holding his foot. It instantly released him. Harry turned and started to swim away, shooting more spells over his shoulder as he went. A second grindylow grabbed Harry by the foot, and the boy twisted around to kick down at the beast with the heel of his other foot. The blow landed with a thud on the grindylow's head, sending him floating backward in a sprawl. The crowd cheered triumphantly as the mersong echoed eerily again from out of the darkness.

"…your time's half-gone, so tarry not  
Lest what you seek stays here to rot…"

Fleur Delacour's situation, on the other hand, had become truly desperate. Although she had managed to free herself from most of the grindylows holding her, four more of the creatures were cruelly biting her legs, and trying to drag her back down. The girl kicked and thrashed at her attackers, her fine silver hair flailing and twisting in the darkness as her body worked to break the creature's vise-like grip. Two of the creatures were now using stones to pound at the champion's crystal-sphere surrounding her head, and tiny cracks in the glass could be seen growing larger. Suddenly, the water imploded into Fleur's face in a rush as the power of her Bubble-Head charm finally gave out.

"Manticore molars!" shouted O'Shea, sounding panicked. "Delacour is in very serious trouble now. I'm afraid one of our hostages isn't going to see their rescuer today. But at least… yes… it looks like the champion from Beauxbatons has freed herself from the creatures and is heading back to the surface."

Surprisingly, the unexpected failure and implosion of Fleur's charm had startled the grindylows just as much as it did the champion herself, and the water demons could be seen scattering to the protection of the weeds below her. The projector followed Fleur's struggling form up until her head broke the surface of the lake where the picture immediately switched to another view floating somewhere above her. She was spitting water and gasping for air as she struggled to swim back to the shore. Madame Maxime was on her enormous feet and galloping urgently toward the lake's edge. Another witch, dressed in the gowns of a healer, was already stooping to help Fleur out of the water and wrapping her in blankets when the Beauxbaton Headmistress arrived to lift her champion onto the bank.

"Thank goodness she's safe. What a shame," Beetle said, sorrowfully. "A spot of bad luck, really, to have run into a den of grindylows like that. If only the power of her charm had been a bit stronger, she might have been able to…"

"Just a minute, Beetle," said Patrick O'Shea, breaking in. "It now looks like the champion from Bulgaria is in trouble."

All eyes in the audience immediately flew across the sky to the other side of the stadium where Viktor Krum looked as if he was being attacked by some of the strangest creatures many had ever seen. They were round, balloon-like fish the size of grapefruits, swimming oddly on stalked legs with webbed feet. A single dorsal fin was perched on the top of their head like a mohawk, while their tailless bodies propelled themselves along like frogs through the water. Their round, animated faces were colored a blotchy, grayish-green, and made excited, raspberry-like snorts as they attached themselves to Krum's legs with their fatty little mouths.

"Blast the luck," said Beetle, who recognized the creatures immediately. "Plimpies."

O'Shea looked over at him and frowned. "Plimpies? What the devil is… are… plimpies?"

"Singularly, the creature is called a plimpy. More than one, and you've got a nuisance you wouldn't believe."

"Are they… dangerous?"

"Well… no… I wouldn't say they're exactly dangerous, but they can be a serious problem. You see how they lock their mouths onto the swimmer? They're looking for snails, which are their primary source of food, and if enough of them can attach themselves…" he suddenly stopped and pointed at Krum. "Ahhh… there… you see? I was afraid of this. Those creatures are going to make it very difficult for Krum to carry on."

The audience watched as Krum began beating at the creatures that had fastened themselves like leaches to his limbs, causing his body to float unwillingly toward the surface. His shark's teeth reached back and began snapping viciously at the plimpies, but their rubber-like bodies remained indifferent and unmoved by his attack. The champion started tearing the creatures away by their legs, but to no avail. The snorting little plimpies immediately swam back to reattach themselves, using their long webbed feet to bat away Krum's efforts to pull them off again. After several minutes of struggling, Krum began tying the feet of the creatures in knots before sending them off with a kick.

"That a' boy, Viktor," Beetle sang out happily. "Now you've got it. Good lad!" Soon, Krum was plimpy-free and swimming away, leaving the struggling creatures floating haplessly like balloons in his wake. The crowd in Spellsburg finally settled back in their seats to gather themselves and watch, with great relief, the champion's approach toward the hostages.

"Our three remaining champions are on track now and heading bang-on course toward the center of the lake," said one of the commentators dully over the exhausted rumble of the crowd. They could see Krum, Diggory, and Potter swimming determinedly through the dark water, the dotted lines below them growing gradually toward the center panel where the sleeping hostages still waited to be rescued.

"I think…" said O'Shea, craning his neck to see, "… yes. It looks like Harry Potter is going to be the first to arrive at the hostages. I don't think any of the odd-makers expected this, Beetle."

Beetle was shaking his head in disbelief. "Incredible, Pat. Harry is having an absolutely remarkable tournament. He did a great job finding his direction early in the race, and was able to fight off the grindylow attack quickly enough to minimize his delay. Let's see if he can get his hostage released and back to the surface under the allotted time."

The audience watched as Harry entered what looked like a small mervilliage. Weed covered huts appeared through the gloom, which were huddled randomly together leading to a center square. They could see small merchildren peering out of holed windows, their vivid-yellow eyes bright with wonder as they watched Harry swimming by them. Some of the merparents could be seen shooting out of the open doorways carrying pointed spears as they spied Harry moving down the street.

At long last, Harry reached the village square where the hostages were tied to the statue. The Hogwarts champion took a second to survey the sight before him, and then urgently sped forward toward the boy tied between two of the girls. He started pulling and yanking on the weeds trying to free the boy, while the circling merpeople laughed spitefully at his efforts. Harry swam over to one of the more menacing looking mermen. He motioned at the spear one of them was carrying and then back again toward the hostages.

"It looks like Harry wants to barrow the merman's weapon," explained Beetle, watching the merman shaking his head. Surprised and then angry, Harry lunged for the spear anyway, but the powerful creature twisted it out of Harry's grasp and pushed him away.

"Oh –– now –– see here," complained O'Shea. "The lad only wanted to borrow it!"

Harry was looking desperate. Diving to the bottom, he started digging through the rock-strewn floor, urgently looking for something he could use to free his hostage. He found a stone with a jagged edge and headed back to the statue where he began hacking away at the weedy bonds holding the boy to the others.

"He'd better hurry… his time is almost up," said Beetle, looking at the running hourglass sitting on the judge's table.

"Yes… and now we see the other two champions entering the mervillage as well," said O'Shea, pointing at the other two panels. The crowd looked over and saw Cedric Diggory swimming anxiously through the muddy pathways between the stone huts. The strange looking Viktor Krum had also entered the village on the south side, sending several terrified merchildren darting out of his path.

There was a rising rumble growing in the crowd. "What in the world is Potter doing?" bellowed Beetle, and everybody's attention returned to his panel. Harry had freed the boy who was now floating upright behind him, and he had started to hammer at the ropes holding the girl next to him.

"I don't believe it. Harry Potter is trying to free another hostage. Well… as admirable as that might be, I'm not sure the mermen are going to allow that."

As if hearing the commentator's words, two mermen suddenly rushed forward to pull Harry away from the girl. They spun him around and began to warn him away menacingly with their spears. Harry was pointing back at the girl he was trying to free with the edged stone, but the merman where angrily shaking their heads and jabbing their spears at him. Frustrated, Harry tried to return to the girl, but was grabbed and pulled away again.

Cedric Diggory finally arrived in the square. Swimming up to Harry, Diggory began shaking his head and pointing at his watch. He pulled a knife from his pocket and cut away the weeds holding the second girl. With a sharp jerk, Cedric pulled the girl away from the statue and started toward the surface.

"And there goes Cedric Diggory with his hostage," yelled O'Shea brightly, and Gwen let out a whoop of excitement next to Anna.

"Potter should take Diggory's lead," Beetle said exasperatedly. "Why doesn't he just grab his hostage and go?"

The crowd shouting around Anna agreed. "Come on, Harry," yelled a ruddy-faced man standing behind them. "Take the boy and get back to the surface! I've got two galleons on you to place. Come on, boy! What are you waiting for?" Anna and Gwen were transfixed as they watched Harry, who was trying again to free a third hostage only to be dragged away by the mermen once more. A few seconds later, Krum entered the square and started tearing and ripping at the girl's ropes.

"Oh –– careful there. He's gonna to tear his hostage in two before he gets her out of the water," said O'Shea, sounding very worried. Harry must have had the same thought. He tore away from the mermen and raced forward to Krum. Slapping the Durmstrang champion on the back, he handed him the stone he had used to free his hostage.

"What in the world are you doing, idiot boy," bellowed the man standing behind Anna. "Don't help the other champions. I've got two galleons on you… no!"

Soon the second girl was free, and Krum was swimming away with his hostage in tow. Anna thought the man behind them was close to heart failure from the strain of losing his wager. Harry gathered up the dropped stone he had given to Krum and began cutting the ropes holding the last girl to the statue.

"I think Potter is intent on freeing all the hostages," Beetle said amusingly. "An admirable quality in a future wizard, but I don't think that's going to help his marks in this competition." Anna looked over at Gwen.

"Admirable qualities…" she said, trying to sound optimistic.

Gwen laughed and shook her head. "Kind of daffy if you ask me. He's going to start a war down there –– look."

Once again, several mermen rushed in to pull Harry away from the last hostage, but the champion from Hogwarts was ready for them. He wrenched out his wand with a sharp jerk, and began to count down with his fingers. Three — he pointed the wand warningly at them. Two — he stretched out his arm. With a look of horror on their faces, the mermen darted away in a flash of slivery fins. Harry turned angrily back to the last hostage and began to cut the remaining bonds holding her to the statue. Then, grabbing the other boy by the back of his robes, he started swimming urgently toward the surface.

"And finally… there goes Potter with the last of the hostages. Well, what do you know about that? It's going to be interesting to see how the judges mark this task, Beetle. Should Harry receive consideration for caring about the other hostages?"

"That'll be up to the judges, of course. With time running out, Harry must have believed the hostages were in mortal danger and, if you think about it, why wouldn't he? The champions were never told the hostages had volunteered for this task, only that something important had been taken from them into the lake. Even a sensible Muggle wouldn't take any chances when it came to a life tied at the bottom of that lake. It'll be interesting to see how the judges react when they hear what happened."

Harry broke the surface of the water in a rush of bubbles and foam to the cheers and happy clapping of the crowd around the lake. The two hostages he had rescued immediately woke from their deep sleep, and Harry, together with the help of the other boy, helped the girl swim back to the shore. A moment later, the hostages were being dragged up the muddy bank, and the judges were helping the champions out of the water. Fleur Delacour broke free of Madame Maxime and began hugging the little girl Harry had brought to the surface who, it turned out, was her younger sister.

"It was ze grindylows… zey attacked me… oh Gabrielle, I thought… I thought…" She stood and rushed over to Harry. "You saved 'er. Even though she was not your ostage." Fleur bent down and kissed Harry on both cheeks. Harry, shivering with cold, looked both tired and very embarrassed.

"Well… points or not…" chuckled Beetle, "that's the kind of reward any true champion longs to receive."

Patrick O'Shea, grinning broadly, nodded and then turned serious as he spoke to the audience. "Now we see the Headmaster of Hogwarts being called into conference by one of the merpeople from the lake. It looks like he's about to find out what happened down there." The crowd watched as Albus Dumbledore motioned to the other judges to join him. A few minutes later, Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed over the crowd once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…"

"And here come the marks," O'Shea said, breathlessly.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

"Oh –– that was a bit tight," said Beetle, resignedly. "I think they could have done better than that for the champion from France."

"Cedric Diggory," Bagman continued, "who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." Loud applause from the Hogwarts students could be heard reverberating into Vollucross stadium. "We therefore award him forty-seven points.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," said Bagman. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

"Here it comes…" said the commentator.

"Most of the judges… feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However… Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

"Ohhhh, it looks like there might be some disagreement between the judges on Potter's marks," said Beetle excitedly, but the man standing behind Anna and Gwen was elated. He stood and whooped with excitement.

"That's my boy, HARRY POTTER! Two galleons at five-to-one odds is ten galleons to me!" he bellowed triumphantly, dancing a little jig on his bench, and toppling right over into the crowd behind him. Everybody laughed as Bagman continued.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions." Cheers and applause from both Hogwarts and Spellsburg filled the air as the picture above them finally settled back on the two commentators.

"Well… there you have it, Beetle. The second task of the Triwizard Tournament is now history. What did you think?"

"I thought the competitors proved once again why they were chosen to be the champions of their wizarding schools. They simply did an outstanding job. Cedric Diggory was most impressive. He was able to fight off that monstrous giant-squid and still get to the hostages quickly.

"And who among us wasn't inspired by Harry Potter's performance? I think we were all extremely happy to see most of the judges taking his decision to try and save the other hostages as something positive rather than taking points off. The students and teachers at Hogwarts are going to be very happy with their champions' combined scores."

"Right you are, Beetle. And here are the final results after the second task."

The picture above the Spellsburg stadium changed to show a set of marks high in the darkened sky:

Champion School 1st Task Score 2nd Task Score Total Score Standings

Diggory Hogwarts 38 47 85 First

Potter Hogwarts 40 45 85 First

Krum Durmstrang 40 40 80 Second

Delacour Beauxbatons 39 25 64 Third

"Tied for first place are Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter of Hogwarts, each with eighty-five points. In second place is Viktor Krum of Durmstrang Academy, with eighty points; and, in third place, Miss Fleur Delacour of the Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft, with sixty-four points. What do you think of the marks, Beetle?"

"Other than the lower than expected score for Miss Delacour in today's task, I think the marks were fair, and I liked the way the judges were willing to take into account Potter's determination to do the right thing."

"I couldn't agree with you more. So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, a very exciting second task to be sure, and one we'll all be talking about for many years to come. As Ludo Bagman just announced, the third and final task will take place at eight o'clock in the evening on the twenty-fourth of June.

"So –– on behalf of my colleague Beetle Mantooth, and our student reporter in the field, Lee Jordan, this is Patrick O'Shea magically signing off from England. We'll see you again on June twenty-fourth for the third task. Good-day everybody." The sky above the stadium went dark, and then suddenly brightened to reveal a clear, pale-blue morning over Spellsburg.

"Wasn't that a fantastic second task?" announced Professor Bots over the continuous roar of the stadium crowd. "Now –– don't forget, this year's graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place the same week as the final Triwizard task, so plan on staying a few extra days if you can. And please — be sure to pick up a schedule for this year's remaining Vollucross races, and Swift Slalom and Quidditch season calendars are available at the gates. We hope to see you again in Spellsburg for one of these incredible events. Thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen, and have a safe journey home."

"So… it looks like Diggory and Potter are going to run away with this thing," Gwen said, gleefully, rising to her feet to stretch.

Anna smiled. "Yeah… we should have put some gold on our men," she whispered back, looking around to be sure Doctor Pearl wasn't around to hear them.

Gwen grinned evilly. "How 'bout a little wager just between friends, then?"

230


	36. Rescue in the Shadowed Forest

Chapter 36d36 – Rescue in the Shadowed Forest

Chapter 36 (Draft 36)

Rescue in the Shadowed Forest

ONE

"So let me understand this. You're actually reading the minds of all of these creatures?"

"I didn't say that. It's more like… I don't know… a way of sensing how they feel. It's like touching a part of their awareness."

"I don't get it. What does that mean, exactly?"

Anna sighed. "It's hard to explain. I concentrate and, after a while, I can kind of feel… what they're feeling."

"Can you teach me how to do this… touchy-feely-thing?"

"I don't know. Nobody taught me."

Gwen sat back in her chair looking bemused. "Look, I didn't want to say anything before, but there's definitely something different about you. In all of this Guardian stuff, you still seem to stand apart from the rest of us. Don't get me wrong, I think being a Guardian is pretty cool, but after all those late night sessions with Eric and the rest of the new Guardians about our future_ mission_, I still don't feel any closer to being what you are than when I first walked out of the mirror months ago. You seem to have all of these special abilities. You're an Animagus, you can sense how all these creatures feel, and you have this strange connection with magical objects. Not to mention that secret keeper thing… and the way you move around the dueling pit. It's like you were born to be something I'll just never be."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? It's true, isn't it?"

"But you make it sound like I'm some kind of freak."

"No-no, that's not what I mean at all. I don't think your weird, I just wish I had some of what you got, that's all."

Anna was discouraged. She truly loved Gwen; her friend had always been there during Anna's most difficult times, spreading her humor and a self-assured form of strength that Anna often lacked. But since the end of the second task, Gwen had been acting differently toward her; she was too restrained of some of the more colorful pieces of her character that defined her so well.

More recently, Gwen had exhibited a startling kind of seriousness that appeared completely out of character for her. Worse than that, the change seemed to reveal itself only around Anna. After a time, Anna began to recognize what Gwen was doing and she decided she didn't like it. There was too much respect, too much value placed on the smallest things Anna said or did. Gwen's attitude was painfully bordering on admiration and Anna desperately wanted to put a stop to it.

After a long moment of silence, Anna finally spoke. "Do you remember that Christmas back in California after my father gave me Apollo?"

"Your horse?" Gwen replied, puzzled by the abrupt change in their conversation. "Sure… what about it?"

"Do you remember when I made you sneak back up to the stables with me the next night when I was supposed to be sleeping at your house?"

Gwen smiled. "I remember you going on and on about how you and Apollo were going to ride across the country together. I couldn't shut you up."

Anna smirked. "But you did finally agree to go with me back to the stables that night… just so I could see him again."

"Well… I had to. We wouldn't have gotten a wink of sleep otherwise. Good thing it was a warm night. Can you imagine –– two ten-year old kids hiking back up Grayson Hill in our bare feet and pajamas… in the middle of the night? We must have been a sight."

Anna smiled. "Do you remember what happened next?"

Gwen frowned suspiciously and then thought. "Well… we made it back to the stables, and I remember you were so worried Mr. Porchdow was going to haul us by our ears back to your father if he caught us out that late," she reminisced with a chuckle. Gwen suddenly stopped short and stared at Anna. "I remember… oh my God!" She started to laugh.

"We got to Apollo's stall…" Anna said, coaxing her friend on.

Gwen threw her head back and pounded the table in a fit of laugher so intense that it startled the empty chairs next to them. She pointed at Anna. "And you stepped right in that fresh pile of horse dung!" Gwen screamed hysterically, almost falling off her chair in happy delight. Anna was laughing too, each of them building momentum from the other as they snorted through the rest of the story.

"Oh God… that stunk soooo bad," Anna said, wrinkling up her nose.

"It was so fresh — it was still steaming," Gwen howled, covering her face.

"It was warm and squished up between my toes. Remember… when I tried to clean it off with Mr. Porchdow's gloves?" Anna laughed on, holding her stomach.

Gwen leaned forward, her eyes wet with tears. "But the funniest part… was you… wanting to find a sack to put the poop in. You… you… wanted to save it forever!" And Gwen fell onto the table, laughing and pounding again. "You were so proud!"

"I had to walk all the way back to your house on my heels," Anna said, giving Gwen a playful slap on the back of her head.

"Ohhh…. my mother was so mad at us. You stunk up the whole house and she threatened to tell your father. Oh my God… I haven't thought about that in years," Gwen said, rubbing the tears out of her eyes.

Anna leaned back to smile and then took a deep breath. "Do you remember what you used to call me after that?"

Gwen paused again before suddenly remembering; she jumped to her feet and pointed down at Anna. "Stinky-feet!" she yelled accusingly, and she started to howl again. "Stinky-feet, stinky-feet," Gwen sang mockingly, her head teetering side to side. "Stinky-feet, stinky-feet, stinky-feet…" and the two girls lost themselves once more in the madness of their delight until the pain stabbing into their ribs forced them to breathe.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, Anna reached out and took her friend's hand. "Gwen, I have no idea what all this Guardian stuff really means or why I seem to have all these abilities you say I do. I only know I love you, and I can't stand having you treat me differently than before." She paused again, and then looked sullenly into her friend's eyes.

"So — the next time you're overly impressed with something I've fallen into… I want you to remember that night in the stables. I liked you better when you were calling me stinky-feet."

Gwen gave a snort as they sat in the balmy glow of their amusement, looking only sporadically into each other's eyes.

"Do you remember the towels?" Gwen finally whispered.

Anna frowned before her memory synced up once more. "Oh my God… your mother's pink bath towels… we used them to clean my feet." Anna started laughing again.

"They were… my… my mother's favorites!" And Gwen exploded into another wave of delight before pointing at Anna again. "Stinky-feet, stinky-feet!"

TWO

March and April brought heavy rain to the Pennsylvania mountains, and the perfumed smell of budding flowers began to fill the plateau. As the days slowly lengthened, vollucross practice was extended an hour into the evenings as they approached the Easter break and, for Anna, the holiday couldn't have come soon enough. Although Eric had warned her about the impending mountain of homework that slowly began to build up as the holiday approached, Anna and the other first-years were left struggling to live up to the high expectations set for them by their teachers at Castlewood.

"Does this always happen at the end of the year?" Sarah asked. She was particularly worried about the enormous amount of work in Magical Incantations.

Professor Titan had turned to giving them several pop-spells, which was his way of making sure they were keeping up with their studies outside his classroom. But the fear of being called to the front to demonstrate a given spell was easily outdone by what was happening in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Professor Van Doorn insisted they study the lives of many dark sorcerers, including Honszoil, Tolszewski the Terrible, Grindelwald, and even _You-Know-Who_… Lord Voldemort. Van Doorn was specifically interested in studying where these wizards had come from, which in most cases seemed to center around two very distinct locations: Durmstrang Academy in Central Europe, and one particular_ House_ within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry called _Slytherin_.

Coming from a home where the Dark Lord's name was spoken openly, Anna was surprised when so many people in her class gasped when they heard her say Voldemort's name out loud. She only made this mistake once.

Professor Van Doorn swooped in so fast across five rows of desks that Anna almost toppled to the floor in shock. "You are either very stupid… or very brave to speak that name openly," Van Doorn growled, her bat-like form leaning over Anna menacingly. Anna could see the whites of two enormous eyes peering dangerously through her black veil.

"Since you are far too young to protect yourself or those around you adequately… it must be ignorance driving these bad habits. Do not say that name in my class again until you're sure you have the skill to strike me down with but a single hex." She slowly pulled back, the power in her black frame palpable to everybody in the room. "Because that's what it would take to survive… _He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named… even-in-my-class — ever!_" She turned and glided slowly back to the front of the class while the wolves outside howled in the distance.

"Know this — and listen well, all of you. When it comes to the power of _You-Know-Who_, all of us together could not raise a wand against him. For doing so would mean instant and painful death before our falling bodies hit the floor." Anna never repeated the same mistake again in Van Doorn's class.

While their homework was becoming increasingly more difficult, Doctor Pearl also added two more days of Vollucross practice in the weeks leading up to the Easter break. Anna had already flown in two races following her fall over the Shadowed Forest, and she did remarkably well in the individual events. But even with Eric flying by her side, victory always seemed to elude them. Being one of only two flyers in the Guardian Union, Anna was constantly competing against vastly more experienced riders, including Lannete Cobstone, who had become something of a celebrity at Castlewood with two wins and a second place finish for her Laborer Union. With only the Easter event and the final race set for June on the schedule, Anna found herself marking Lannete as the rider to beat. But Eric's strategy for success only went as far as getting Anna near enough to Lannete at the end. After that, it was going to be up to Swooper and his blazing speed to bring home the Guardian's first victory.

When the Easter race ended, _The Spellsburg Seer_ had heralded it as one of the most memorable contests of the past decade. Just as Eric had planned, Anna found herself in second place, just one hundred yards behind Lannete at the Amber Gates. Subsequently, the race to the finish was nail biting as Anna pulled even under Peppercorn's hooves when the two entered the stadium gap. And when they finally crossed the finish line, Anna and Swooper at long last tasted their first victory by the feather of an outstretched wing. The stadium, already screaming loud enough to break nearly every spell hiding the mountain's plateau, exploded in wild jubilation. Even those who had lost gold on the outcome happily applauded, feeling their wagers well spent in witnessing such a magnificent finish. When she landed, Anna was hoisted up by her fellow Guardians and carried aloft. Tears of exhilaration were pouring down her face by the time the Guardians found Eric, who had entered the stadium two minutes later in third place and was pushed forward and raised up with his sister. The two riders embraced as their Union tossed them high into the air by their purple robes. It was a moment Anna would remember for the rest of her life.

But despite the remarkable Guardian win, the standings for the school's most prized possession over all the others, the Chancellor's Cup, remained unchanged. The Defenders, who had already taken the cup the last six years in a row, were once again far ahead of the other Dynasties, and in their mind the cup was already well won. For their part, the Guardians, owing to there being so few of them at the school, were in last place by a distant margin, but that didn't seem to matter to any of them. What really mattered was seeing their Union sustained, and to do that… they needed to find new recruits.

Eric's on-going presentations to the school were inspired. His enthusiasm and oratorical ability for the sake of the Guardian's cause was most infectious, and soon more guardians were swelling their ranks. The push to reach fifty members after the Triwizard Tournament's second task started with Heather Thomas, a pretty first-year girl originally from the Defender's Union, who had become the thirty-seventh Guardian. For a time, her twin brother Andrew was also considered a sure bet when he finally decided to reenter the Mirror of Enlightenment, but to both his sister and Anna's surprise, he remained a Defender.

Several more Guardians were joined soon afterwards, a few each week, until in early May their number had finally climbed to forty-nine, and any thought of failing to sustain the Union quickly vanished. Even Eric, whose relentless work never seemed to take a break, now found it hard to believe they could fail. His certainty was so high in fact that Eric decided to take some time off from doing his presentations, confident the fiftieth Guardian would soon be announced.

The following week, however, only brought surprising disappointments. While more students than ever were reentering the Mirror of Enlightenment, no new Guardians were announced. Day after day, it seemed their high hopes for success were continually setback. When the expected week of celebration had passed into a second, and then a third without any new announcements, Eric resumed his presentations once more, disappointed but still confident they would find the one individual they needed.

By the time June had arrived, however, Eric's wall of confidence was starting to show signs of stress, but true to her brother's character, Anna watched him continually redouble his efforts. He was not to be denied, not when they were so close to success. Despite the concern permeating their Guardian ranks, failure was never a subject open for discussion while Eric was in the room to hear them.

Although Eric's efforts were generally considered heroic, what Gwen was doing for the Guardian cause might have been called fanatical. She seemed to be taking their failure to find the elusive fiftieth Guardian as something of a personal insult and was tirelessly following Eric around the castle, helping him with leaflets, his research in the library, and modifying his speeches to inspire more passion in those areas where she thought Eric was being far too analytical. At first, Anna amusedly believed Gwen was doing whatever she could just to spend more time with Eric, thinking her friend's life-long crush on her older brother was showing itself again. But these thoughts quickly evaporated in the beginning of the second week of June when Anna found Eric and Gwen arguing in the hallway after one of his afternoon presentations.

"What in the world do you call that?" Gwen blistered, pointing back to the lecture hall from where Eric had given his speech. "You were completely flat up there. Where was the passion, Eric? My God… they were falling asleep on you in there!"

This, Anna thought, was a bit unfair. Despite the growing hoarseness in Eric's voice, Anna believed her brother's efforts were genuinely brilliant. And although the fiftieth Guardian hadn't been announced yet, more students than ever were choosing to pass through the mirror a second time.

"Calm down," Eric snapped back. "We had them eating out of our hands in there. Your additions to my presentation were exactly what we needed. It's only a matter of time before…"

"But you completely dropped the information on the historical sites in Britain that need our protection! You know we're going to need that to peak the interests of some of our foreign exchange students."

"Did you finish that? It wasn't in my outline."

"Yes it was!"

"No, Gwen, it wasn't," Eric said defensively, showing her the two pieces of parchment that were his summary.

"Where did you get this? This is not the outline I gave you yesterday. Where are my notes on the _Forbidden Forest_ at Hogwarts?"

"They're on my desk back in my room."

Gwen looked scandalized. "What the hell are they doing there? They won't do us any good sitting in your room." Anna could see some of the other Guardians circling around the two of them, trying to hide Eric and Gwen's argument from the other students leaving the lecture hall.

"You asked me to review those notes when I had a chance. I need to do that before we put them into the presentation," Eric replied, his voice rising sharply.

"What? You mean to tell me that you haven't even looked at them yet?"

"Listen… guys," Anna interrupted, looking around and smiling at some of the other students passing by them, "we need to take this somewhere private. We shouldn't be seen arguing with each other like this."

Gwen glared at her. "Then tell your brother to get with the program. We're running out of time."

"Gwen, I'm sure Eric is doing all he can to…"

"You need to calm down," Eric interrupted. "We don't need anybody on the team panicking right now."

"What?" Gwen barked, stepping forward. She began banging her finger into Eric's chest. "Listen… my parents nearly yanked me out of this school for doing what I thought was right for this cause. We're not going to fail just because you haven't taken the time to…"

"Enough!" boomed another voice above them. John Dell, the burly seventh-year, formerly of the Laborer Union, was looking irritated. He took a long, slow breath before turning to Eric.

"Eric, your speech was brilliant. I've never seen you deliver better." Gwen tutted loudly, folding her arms seemingly unconvinced. John turned to her. "Gwen, your additions to the presentation have gathered us more potential recruits than ever before. You're both doing a fantastic job. So go to your separate corners and calm down before I pinch your heads off." Some of the other Guardians around them started to snicker.

After a long pause, Eric nodded. "You're right, John." He turned to Gwen. "Listen — I'll meet you in the gathering space for lunch. We can go over the changes you made last night there together, all right?"

Gwen heaved, and then shrugged. "Fine… and… look, Eric, I'm sorry…" and Anna could tell she really meant it. "It's just that… we're so close now, and we're almost out of time."

"I know, I know, but… try not to worry about it. We'll find the person we're looking for." He looked around at his fellow Guardians and could tell they were all just as concerned as Gwen. "We're going to make it. I just know we're going to get it done."

"Here — here," echoed several voices around them.

"Lunch then?" Gwen grunted and Eric nodded. She turned to go with Anna running to catch up.

As John Dell watched the crowd fall out of sight, he turned to Eric again. "You know, old friend, you need to get more sleep. Everybody can see these presentations are talking a toll on you. Although I don't think your yawning took anything away from the message, it's probably what set Gwen off."

Eric sighed. "I'll be all right, John." His friend looked skeptical. "I'll hit the sack early tonight… I promise."

THREE

As she was walking back to the city after Vollucross practice that night, it occurred to Anna that despite the argument she had witnessed between Eric and Gwen, it had been a very good day. Slalom practice had gone well that morning and most of her classes were uneventful. And although her homework was starting to become increasingly heavy, Anna was enjoying herself immensely.

Vollucross always followed her last class, and Anna had grown accustom to ending her day soaring high above the lush, green-covered hills surrounding Spellsburg and taking in the breathtaking sights of the valley below the plateau. But despite the splendor of this end of day ritual, now was the time she looked forward to the most. Walking alone near the rim of the forest, with the last of the evening's sun warming her face and gilding the tops of all the trees, the glowing red horizon and bruising clouds always reminded her of home; she loved this time of day.

The only thing that bothered her about her quiet walks back to the city was the occasional feeling that something unwelcome was always near by. She never saw anything, of course, but she could feel something was there; like a faint breath echoing through the back of her mind, or the sound of footsteps occasionally falling out of sync with her own, she could feel a presence watching her every move. But every time these feelings of uneasiness peaked her senses enough to look back, nothing was ever there. Anna eventually convinced herself it was probably something eyeing her from the forest, perhaps some creature living near the edge of the woods.

"Eric would probably think the pressure was finally getting to me," she observed with a smirk.

Her brother had made it clear he thought Anna was far too busy for a first-year student. What with vollucross and slalom practice several times a week on top of her lessons, not to mention helping him and the other Guardians with their recruiting efforts, Eric believed Anna's schedule was going to take a very heavy toll at the most inopportune time - like during their final exams.

Anna tried to reassure to her brother she was all right, that her time in the air was her only true outlet, her way of keeping all the pressure in check. Anna didn't tell her brother the truth: that deep down she still lacked the confidence to believe she belonged at Castlewood, and it was only when she was flying that she could set most of her doubts aside. When she was in the air, the feelings of _not belonging_ always fell away into the vastness of the open spaces around her. Sailing over the Shadowed Forest on Swooper was the only time she finally allowed herself to believe she was exactly where she should be, studying the magical heritage that was her birthright. When she was racing around the colored gates above Slalom Stadium, Anna felt more alive and appreciative of her surroundings than anywhere else. And despite Mr. Barclay's fervent attempts to change her stance on a door, Anna continued to do it her own way; she was intent to show him and everybody else at the school, that regardless of how she might have come at Castlewood, Anna Grayson was here to stay. Anna closed her eyes as she walked and breathed deep the woody aroma of the forest around her. She loved this place.

And then, without warning, she found her pace slowing and then come to a sudden stop. She turned cautiously to look back. _Was it a sound?_ No… more like a feeling; very much like the sensation she experienced when the ally had been watching her earlier that year; but it wasn't the ally this time. The iciness of the air surrounding her was clearly absent. Anna lowered her brow to peer down the grassy dents her steps had made in the path behind her. Somebody was there, she was sure of it this time.

A low rumble began to brew forth from the deepest regions of Anna's chest. Who was it that had been watching her all this time, day after day, following nearly every practice, hiding somewhere along the forest's edge and out of sight? For Anna only now began to realize… whoever it was had been there several times before now. Her memory of those odd feelings she had felt on each of the days leading up to that moment came flooding back to her. She unexpectedly understood something she should have known all along. Somebody… was following her.

Anna could feel something hot rising from her stomach and flowing up like boiling water into her chest. The low rumble turned into a growl that rattled her throat before another sound suddenly snatched her aroused attention out of its trance, like a dry twig beneath one's foot.

_Snap._

Anna's eyes quickly darted into the forest next to her. Something hidden was there in the darkness just out of sight. But what she was sensing now was clearly different from what she knew was following down that grassy path behind her. The growl in her chest changed to something soft and absorbing, and a gentle buzz began to emanate from her throat as Anna stepped closer to the wooded edge to peer in. The buzz became a soft purr as she pushed a branch blocking her view aside. She could feel the beating heart of something between her ears as she leaned in. A dark hole in the bushes just a few feet inside was drawing her mind's attention forward. It was there; she could feel its warmth, like a loved one's tender embrace. The loud purr in Anna's throat abruptly stopped as she spoke.

"Trog? Is that you?" She listened for a response. There was no reply, but she could feel the creature's inquisitive disposition change to one of surprise at hearing its own name.

"It's okay… it's me… Anna Grayson. You saved me in the forest when I fell from my horse. Do you… remember me?" Anna waited and listened. She could hear the creature's two hearts synchronize their rhythm, pumping as one. He was scared; he was backing away.

"Please… don't go. I couldn't possibly harm you. You realize that, don't you?" The creature suddenly halted and then turned curiously back to her again. Anna could feel its mass moving in close, like a huge locomotive rolling toward her.

Anna caught herself leaning back as she spoke. "I never thanked you properly for saving my life. That was a very kind thing you did for me." Still nothing: A single beam of golden light was edging its way from behind Anna's right shoulder. If only the sun would move just a few more inches to the left, it would light the dark gap where she knew the creature was crouching and looking out to see.

"Anyway… thank you for your kindness. If there's anything I can do to help you, I hope you will trust me enough to let me…"

The giant creature suddenly stood to move forward before stopping short again. Anna froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. He was right there, just out of sight. She leaned to the left, allowing the light over her shoulder to pierce the shadowy gap as the thing crouched down again. Then something unexpected fell into view and Anna smiled. Two emerald-green eyes narrowed to stare at her from out of the darkness. The eyes, set across either side of an olive-green nose she could barely see, were framed with black lashes that blinked curiously down at her. The green of Trog's eyes were speckled with black, which only heightened the tenderness in his remarkable gaze. They were beautiful.

"You… have healed, have you?" came a deep and caring voice. Anna could see the wrinkles in the corners of the creature's eyes lifting from what could only be a smile beneath. She smiled back. Never in her entire life had she seen eyes such as these. They seemed to emote a kind of gentleness usually reserved between babies and their mothers. Such tenderness in a gaze surely existed nowhere else in the wizarding world.

"Yes… I am, thank you. Can… I see you? I would really like to meet you, Trog," Anna said, hopefully. There was a pause, and then a sense of disappointment began to envelop her heart. She supposed she had expected the creature to walk out of the darkness now that they had spoken, but she suddenly realized that wasn't going to happen.

"I… cannot," said the voice with a hint of disappointment resonating between his words.

"Why not?"

"It… is not allowed."

"I don't understand. We've already been together once before. Why can't I see you?"

"It would be improper, it would."

"Why would it be improper? Certainly not to me," Anna said, taking a step forward.

"Stop!"

"But…"

"Contact with the students is improper. It is not allowed, it isn't."

Anna stepped back, her disappointment growing. "Why can't the students see you? I saw you in the forest. What's the difference?"

"Trog got into trouble, he did, because he was seen that day."

"What? You got into trouble… for saving my life? For trying to rescue me?"

"Yes, trouble."

"But… why, by whom? Who would care if you…?"

"The Captain," said the deep voice, and Anna froze.

"Captain Dunning? But…I don't understand?"

"The Captain makes the rules, he does. Came into the forest looking for Trog after I helped you, he did. The Captain said I had interfered and was banned from the castle for the rest of the year, I was. He was angry. Angry very much, he was."

"Captain Dunning was angry about you helping me? But… that's horrible. I could have died out there if it hadn't been for you."

"Trog… must not to be seen."

"But I saw you on my first day at Castlewood, in the hallway with the rest of the other first-years. You were dressed in a crimson guard's robes, covered from head to toe in…" Anna stopped. She suddenly realized while Trog had been in the castle on that first day he had been covered to hide the fact that he was not a wizard.

Anna looked at Trog and frowned. "Even when you're in the castle…"

"Trog cannot be seen. It is not allowed."

"But you're allowed to move about. You were helping the students in the castle on the first day."

"Sometimes Trog is allowed to help, he is, when more guards are needed on special days. I am a guard in training, I am, you see," said Trog, a hint of pride building in his voice. "Captain Ramsey was Trog's friend, he was, before Captain Dunning replaced him at the castle. Ramsey put me in training, he did. Said I was useful to his men, he did.

"But the new captain does not believe creatures that live in the forest should be allowed in the castle. Captain Dunning said… he said… I was not useful anymore… he did," and Anna could hear Trog's tumbling disappointment pouring out of the dark gap.

"Well I don't give an owl's hoot about what Captain Dunning says," Anna said with a sharp spike of fury. "That man's mouth is worse than a mandrake pulled by its stems!"

The bushes in front of Anna started to tremble and quake. And then, without warning, a loud and earthmoving howl suddenly blasted forth. It was laughter; laughter unlike Anna had never heard before. Robust and full of life, it boomed through the trees, causing the birds above them to scatter. It blew Anna's hair back as if in a stiff wind and she couldn't help laughing with him.

"Well — it's — true!" she said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Trog finally recovered. "Mandrake… delicious, they are." He took a long, drawing breath. "The captain is a good man, he is. He just doesn't like the creatures of the forest that much."

Anna scoffed. Only a creature as kind as this, she thought, could find anything nice to say about Castlewood's Captain of the Guard. She didn't bother setting Trog right.

"They just don't know you, Trog," Anna said, supportively. "Nobody at the castle knows you or understands how kind you are. If they only knew…"

"The Chancellor likes Trog, he does," the creature interrupted brightly.

"Chancellor Thordarson? You… you know the Chancellor?" Anna was surprised.

"Yes. Professor Thordarson shared tea with Trog when Captain Ramsey first brought me to the castle for training, he did. I don't much like tea," the deep and bottomless voice added.

"You… had tea, with Professor Thordarson? With — the Chancellor — up at the castle?" Anna rambled, awe-struck. "Wow… I'm impressed."

"Yes… the Chancellor is a kind man, he is. He came into the woods to find me after Captain Dunning banned me from the castle, he did. He brought me a bucket of grubs and tea, and sat on the stump outside my cave with me. He said he would talk with the captain about using me at this year's graduation, he would. He is… a nice wizard, the professor." Anna smiled. She couldn't have agreed more.

"That's when the Chancellor asked me for my favor, he did," Trog added.

"Favor? What favor?" Anna could see the creature's eyes coming into view again through the gap in the bushes. His beautiful emeralds blinked at her and wrinkled their edges again.

"Professor Thordarson asked me to watch over Anna Grayson whenever I saw her near the Shadowed Forest, he did."

"He… what?"

"Anna Grayson, he said, has a very important job to do. She must be allowed to be what she was intended to be, she must."

For a moment, Anna was dumbstruck. When she finally found her voice again, it was weak and shaky. "I… can't believe the Chancellor asked you to watch out for me," she said, in amazement.

"Why not? The shadows of the forest contain many dangers, they do. Unless…" Trog hesitated, "…unless you would rather not have a creature of the forest give you his favor. I… I would understand if you felt…"

Anna jerked up. Realizing what she had done, she moved to recover quickly. "Oh, no… no… Trog, it's not that I mind. It's just that… I'm surprised the Chancellor would do this on my behalf. He's a very important man and… I'm just astonished he would care enough to ask you to watch over me." There was a pause while Anna retreated to think. _I can't believe Professor Thordarson would go to so much trouble. Why would he do this?_

"So… you don't mind Trog giving you his favor, do you?" the creature asked, the hope in his voice building.

Anna smiled. "It would be an honor to be looked after by somebody as important to the Chancellor as you." She could see those remarkable green eyes shining with pride.

"Good!" Trog said, brightly. "You will try to be more careful when you fly, will you? No more falling off the winged beasts?" Anna nodded bashfully. And then the green eyes abruptly fell away, and Anna could barely see what looked like the pointed bulge of an ear to the side.

"What's the matter?"

"Sssshhh!" Trog whispered sharply. "You are being followed, you are." Anna frowned, and then leaned back out of the bushes to stare down the rim of the forest again.

"Yeah… I know. Whatever it is… it's been following me nearly everyday after practice."

The green eyes returned to her. "You knew somebody was there, did you?"

"Well… I didn't know for sure until tonight. Who is it?"

"Trog does not know; another student in red bands. What do they want with Anna Grayson? You have my favor, you do." Anna looked back again. She could feel her blood heating up once more.

"Red bands, ay?" She looked back at Trog. "No… it's all right. I think I know who it is. I'll take care of it myself."

Trog's eyes widened; he seemed surprised. "You… are sure, are you?"

"Quite sure," Anna replied determinedly.

"As you wish. I will leave you to it, I will. Farewell, Anna Grayson, and remember to stay vigilant when near the forest's edge," warned the creature, who quickly disappeared into the shadows once more.

"Wait… Trog?" Anna quickly stepped forward to let the remaining light flood the gap in front of her. Nothing was there. She listened hard for the sound of the creature's heartbeat, but he was already gone.

"For a creature so big, you certainly are fast," Anna said, remembering how quick and silent Trog moved through the hallways of Castlewood on her first day. She stepped back and stared down the grassy path behind her again.

"I know you're there," she said in a deep growl.

And then, all at once, a simple idea occurred to her and a creeping smile began to curl Anna's lips. She stepped into the trees again, set her bag down, and then sat. Thinking of the woods in her far away home, she leaned back against a gnarled oak and closed her eyes. She could see her body falling away as her mind reached out and then swooped back down to the ground behind her. The bushes and trees rushed by her in a blur as her senses focused on the faint breathing sounds of the person following her. Anna could feel the thing hiding in the woods in the direction of the stadium. She remembered chasing the little chipmunk through the trees back home, and knew the creature she was hunting this time… would be far easier to catch.

Anna was getting closer. She could hear the thing's heart beating as her mind raced through the underbrush along the edge of the forest. She was passing it now, and Anna's ghostly form turned to double back and then slowed. Crouched low and peeking through the trees back to where Anna had disappeared was Debbie Dunning. She was spying again. Anna's body smiled under the tree where she sat.

_What to do… what to do? _

Anna could smell Debbie's sweat as the girl craned her neck to look over the bushes from her hiding place. Anna swooped in next to her. Dunning wouldn't be able to see her any more than the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures did at home, but Anna reached out anyway.

_What to do… what to do?_

Then, for the second time that evening, something deep in the woods snatched at Anna's attention. Her ethereal form slowly turned away from Dunning and then paused to peer into the Shadowed Forest again. She could feel something faintly pulling at her consciousness, something familiar and recurring was there. It reminded her of the Drummond woman she had found lost in the woods back at the Grayson estate. The whimpering and crying, a creature adrift with the feelings of being completely lost and without hope; they were there once more. _But… how could this be? The Drummond woman couldn't be here, lost in the Shadowed Forest three thousand miles away from home, _and yet…the sounds and forlorn feelings of sadness were all clearly there.

Anna's mind raced deep into the forest, searching desperately for the source of the sound, knowing without question that the vague and almost imperceptible call for help was as real as the woods surrounding her. She covered huge sections of ground in seconds, stopping only twice to narrow her focus before resuming the search again. She was close now. She could hear the thing's rattled breath. It was lost and sick, made ill by the enchanted place surrounding it. And then, at last, Anna found what she was looking for in the woods. It was a man, lying on his side, wet and shivering on the cold forest floor.

"Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out unthinkingly to sooth the poor man. She had barely laid a ghostly hand upon his shoulder when he startled and shook violently at her touch. Anna snapped back. "Oh — I'm sorry — I'm sorry. Can you hear me? Can you see me?" The man did not answer.

"Follow… must find… find it," he mumbled to himself shakily.

Anna couldn't believe her eyes, but there was little doubt about what she was now seeing. It was a Muggle. _But… how could a Muggle make it all the way up this mountain nearly in sight of Castlewood? What was more, how could he have survived all the magical beasts and creatures living in the forest around him?_ The very thought of it was ludicrous, and yet here he was, shivering before her in the cold.

The man's head suddenly jerked up. "Mustn't sleep. Must… keep looking… find the gold, find the place where he's hiding it." Anna was desperate to help the man, but in her present state, she realized there was very little she could do for him.

Anna heard a growl from the bushes beside her and she looked up to see several yellow, cat-like eyes peering through the gloom in the underbrush. She had seen these creatures once before when she herself had been injured and lying near death in the woods. Anna made a motion to reach out to the creatures and could tell by the way they fell back they _could_ see her.

"This man needs a healer. Would you watch over him until I can find somebody who can help him?" The horned creatures stared at her nervously for a moment and then began screeching and yowling to one another from out of their many hiding places.

"Thanks — I'll be right back," Anna replied, not completely certain their clan had agreed to help. Anna twisted round to return to the plateau, her eyes snapped open, and she found herself sitting alone once again against the old oak.

FOUR

Anna jumped to her feet and bolted out of the woods onto the grassy plateau. The sun was nearly down now. Only a reddish hue remained of the light above her.

"Help… somebody help!"

She ran back to the spot where she knew Debbie Dunning had been hiding earlier, but nobody was there. She looked left and right, down the curving edge of the forest back to the stadium and then in the opposite direction toward the city gates.

"Somebody help! There's a Muggle in the forest and he's been injured!" Anna knew time was running out for the man, and she had no idea if the creatures watching over him would protect him… or eventually try and eat him. She made her decision in an instant. Throwing her bag to the ground, she raced back into the Shadowed Forest. She knew exactly where the man was lying, but couldn't know how long it would take to get to him on foot.

The forest was completely dark now, but Anna kept moving through the trees, retracing her mind's path back to the man. Although the journey was much more difficult this time, the trek seemed easy considering a man's life was clearly at risk. The Guardian raced through the bushes of the forest, ducking where she could see in the darkness, and cutting around the worst areas she knew would block her way. She pressed on harder when she thought of the man's labored breathing and the creatures hungrily watching over him. Her heart felt like it was going to explode from the effort.

_I have to find him_, she thought recklessly, as she leapt over a fallen tree and then tripped and tumbled headfirst down a steep embankment. She was on her feet again before the lingering pain in her ribs had a chance to complain. "Hold on… I'm coming… please God… help me get there," she breathed heavily.

Anna finally arrived at the exact spot where she left the Muggle, but to her horror, she found the forest floor empty. Her heart sank.

Frantic, she began searching behind the trees, in the bushes, under the ferns. "Where are you?" she yelled, stopping quickly to listen. A faint breeze rustled through the canopy over her head; only the wavering drone of the evening's cicada answered her call. It was completely black now: Only the blue-white moon above served to illuminate the faintest shadows around her. Anna's body ached as she wiped her face of the sweat and scratches left from her effort to get to this spot.

"Hello? Please answer me. I'm here to help you," Anna called out, desperately. Her heart sank in the silence. "They took him," she whimpered, "those little beasts must have…" Suddenly, her head snapped around. There was a yowling cry echoing through the woods and Anna stopped breathing to listen. She heard another long screech pierce the night.

"Oh God." She dashed into the woods again.

She finally found him. Crawling on his hands and knees, Anna could see the Muggle struggling to get to his feet once more. The horned beasts she had left to watch over the man were encircled around him, crying out in the dark like a hideous cult about to initiate some ominous ritual. They scattered as Anna ran over to the man who had fallen once more on his front. She turned him over. Shivering from cold, the Muggle looked into her face in disbelief, his eyes wild with fear.

"Follow… the gold," he said, shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm here to help you. We have to get you out of these woods," Anna said, her eyes impulsively darting into the trees surrounding the two of them, looking for any latent predators.

"Are you injured? Can you stand?"

The man looked at her as if she was speaking to him in some unknown language. He stared in disbelief, trying to decide if the young girl hovering over him was real. He finally reached up and grabbed Anna by the collar.

"Are you… a phantom… come to haunt me again?" he said distrustfully, running a dirty hand down the smoothness of Anna's hair. His eyes began darting somewhere over her head, looking for something he might have seen before. "I've… seen things… terrible things; things chasing me in the woods. I think… they wanted to eat me!" Anna pulled him up into a sitting position.

"Are you hurt?" The man didn't respond. "Are you injured?" She began to scan over his body in what little moonlight was available to her. Deciding any Muggle found in the Shadowed Forest would undoubtedly have his memory modified, Anna took out her wand.

"_Lumos!"_ She held her light high to inspect the man properly. Other than the obvious signs of extreme exposure, she thought he looked well enough to travel. All that mattered now was getting him out of the forest.

Lowering her shoulder under his arm, Anna heaved the man to his feet and pointed him right. Then, leading him out of the clearing and into the woods, she turned back to the creatures that had cared for him.

"Thank your clan… for watching over him," she said, gratefully. The horned beasts gave a soft yowl in response before darting into the undergrowth, their thick, skunk-like tails standing erect as they disappeared into moon-lit shadows. Anna swallowed hard, turned again, and then pushed the man onward.

Their journey together was very difficult. After struggling for ten minutes, Anna's legs felt like lead, and the deep spasms of pain in her back were complaining bitterly of the man's weight. She tried to take her mind off her body and focus it on the task at hand.

"So… tell me," she huffed, stopping to guide the Muggle around a fallen tree. "How did you come… to be… in these woods?" The man didn't answer her. He was mumbling and whispering to himself absent-mindedly, showing as little regard for Anna's presence as when her ghostly form had first found him. Only every other word was distinguishable in his repeated mutterings.

"Must… gold. Must find where he's sending it…"

"The gold… yes, I know… you said that," Anna said breathlessly, turning him once more to where she thought was the shortest path back to the plateau. "Can you tell me your name, then?"

"He's hiding the gold somewhere up here," the man mumbled under his breath.

"I can assure you, sir… there isn't any gold in _this_ forest."

Without warning, the man pulled away to glare at her reproachfully. His ability to stand upright on his own surprised her.

"There is!" he blasted back furiously. Then, looking about to ensure nobody else could hear them, he leaned in furtively. "I've gone through all of his personal accounts over the last ten years. He thought himself so clever… never thought I'd found out, but I know what he's been doing. He's been hiding it up here, sending it all to her."

Anna rested her sore back against the trunk of a tree. She thought the man was clearly near the end of his mental rope. She found herself wondering where Trog's cave might be. _I could really use his strength right now, _she thought wearily. Her mind fumbled through the catalog of spells she had studied at the school, but she couldn't think of anything that would help her in their present situation. She looked down at her wand's light.

"Wait a second…" she looked up into the high canopy for a moment and then pointed her wand skyward. _"Relashio!"_ A blinding, purple light suddenly shot into the air. It twisted in a spiral, traveling upward nearly fifty feet before hitting the canopy and exploding into a shower of yellow sparks. Large twigs and branches began to rain down upon their heads and the man screamed in terror as he ducked behind a tree to hide himself. What little connection the two might have shared in their short journey together was now completely lost as the man took off in a panic through the woods.

"No, wait… STOP! Oh – no," Anna moaned, before reluctantly chasing after him. She caught up with him only after the man had nearly knocked himself unconscious on a low hanging branch in the darkness.

"Please stop… please!" Anna panted, holding a dagger of a stitch in her side. She watched the man feebly trying to get to his feet once more. He staggered: Hitting the top of his head on the same branch a second time, his knees buckled and he crumbled to the ground once again in pained exhaustion. Anna dropped to her knees next to him.

"I'm… sorry," she wheezed. "I didn't… mean to frighten you. I won't do it again, okay?"

After a long rest, Anna helped the man to his feet again and shouldered him onward. "At least you were heading in the right direction this time," she said, sounding exasperated.

"Must… find… Drogo…" the man said in a sobbing whisper and Anna froze.

"What did you say?" Anna stepped out from under his shoulder to look at him again.

"Follow the gold…" repeated the man breathlessly. "He's sending it to Drogo."

Anna's jaw dropped, her mind suddenly racing in several directions at once. There was only one person in the whole world that Anna knew was sending gold to Drogo prison. _But… how would this Muggle know about that, and why would he risk his life to travel up here looking for it?_ It was impossible to believe what she was thinking. She tried to refocus her mind.

"Listen… my name is Anna… Anna Grayson." She held her breath, looking for any reaction. The man's face suddenly jerked up.

"Grayson! Yes — yes! Grayson gold… on its way to Drogo. I have to find the gold… find out where he's hiding it… and then I'll have him. I'll get to the truth of what he's doing up here."

Anna's brain was reeling. What she thought was just a stranger lost in the forest was now something completely different. Somehow, inexplicably, this man was intent on finding Drogo prison and the gold her father was sending there. _But why, and who was this man?_

"Stay where you are!" came a voice behind them, and Anna wheeled around to find Debbie Dunning standing there. The wand in her outstretched hand was pointed directly at them.

"Debbie…?" Anna said in surprise, and at the sound of her name Dunning's arm stiffened.

"I've got you now, Grayson," the girl said, steadily. She was standing rigid with a look of utter triumph in sharp relief in the pale moonlight. "I knew that if I followed you long enough you would trip up and do something stupid. The Shadowed Forest is out of bounds, Grayson; that's a very serious offense for a first-year student." Debbie smiled. "I'm afraid this will call for a punishment far worse than cleaning out those bins in the stables."

Despite Debbie's insolence, Anna was actually happy to see her. "Listen…" Anna said, trying to explain, "…we've got to call for help. This man…"

"Pity more Graysons aren't here with you," Debbie interrupted her, "I could've had the lot of you on the next boat out of here."

"Must follow the Grayson gold…" muttered the Muggle.

"Who is that with you?" Debbie yelped in surprise, her wand quickly moving to point at the stranger she only now realized was standing behind Anna in the shadows.

"I found this man in the forest back there. He's lost, and he's … not right in the head."

"Follow the gold…" whispered the man again.

"Sssshhh," Anna warned before turning to Dunning again. "I heard him calling for help from the plateau and I came to see… if I could help."

Debbie looked unimpressed. "What nonsense is this?" She pointed her wand toward the ground and bellowed, "_Lumos!"_ She pointed her light at the man still muttering under his breath. "What is… is that… a Muggle?"

"Yes. As I said, he's lost and very weak. I heard him calling for help."

Debbie looked in the direction of the woods from which she had come and then turned to stare back at Anna. "You're lying," she sneered, adjusting her aim again. "The plateau is close to a mile away. You couldn't possibly have heard anybody calling for help back there. What are you on about, Grayson? What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything? We have to get this man to a healer immediately." She turned and grabbed the man's arm and stepped him forward. "So either help me, or get out of my way."

Debbie smiled as she pointed her wand at Anna again. "You're not going anywhere until I get to the bottom of this," she said menacingly. "You've been caught out of bounds, and meeting with a Muggle in the Shadowed Forest. You will explain this, now!" Anna could feel her stomach tighten with rage.

"Find the gold… must find the Grayson gold…" drummed the Muggle hypnotically.

"Quiet!" Anna snapped back.

"What was that, Muggle? What did you say?"

"He didn't say anything. I told you, he's not right in his mind. The Muggle repelling charms in the forest are confusing him."

"Shut-up, Grayson! Don't make things worse for yourself by trying to hamper an investigation."

"I'm not hampering anything, and you're not a proper investigator anyway! I don't have to explain myself to you." Anna stepped forward again, pulling the man along with her.

"_Relashio!"_ Debbie barked, and a flash of sparks exploded at Anna's feet. The Muggle screamed and then fell to the ground.

"Stop it! You're scaring him. I told you… he doesn't understand any of this!"

"You're not going anywhere until I say," Debbie sneered.

"Must find the Grayson gold," said the man shakily. "He's sending it to…"

"Be quiet!" Anna warned.

"What Grayson gold is he talking about? Is that why you were meeting him here?"

"I told you, I wasn't meeting him. I was helping him."

Dunning wasn't listening. "Muggle! Tell me about this gold!"

"Leave him be… he's not well…"

Debbie glared at Anna. "If you open your mouth once more, I'll stun it shut," she warned.

Anna had heard enough, she wasn't going to let Debbie Dunning put the man's life at risk any longer. Anna made a move to raise her wand.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Debbie yelled, and as the light of the girl's wand was extinguished, Anna's wand was yanked away. Like steel to a magnet, it soared straight into Debbie's waiting hand.

"Give that back!" Anna roared angrily.

Debbie stared at the purple heart in her hand with a look of one holding something covered in mud. "Careful now… I can still break it in half, you know," she said, twisting an ugly smile.

Anna glared back at her. "And I can still break your face!" she growled, stepping forward.

Debbie's smile fell, replaced by a sharp mark of recollection. She recovered quickly. "But not before I cut your Muggle friend there in half," she replied, taking aim at the man again. "Now… step… back!"

Anna had no choice. She moved back until she was even with the man next to her again and she put a hand under his arm in an effort to sooth him.

"That's better… good. Now Muggle… we're going to have a little talk, you and I. Do you understand?" The man wasn't listening to her.

"Must… find Drogo," he said, looking around as if to choose in which direction to resume his quest.

"Drogo, did you say?" Debbie shot back in alarm. "What about Drogo?"

The man swayed dangerously to survey the woods around him, but nothing Debbie said seemed to breach the fog engulfing his confused mind. A few words occasionally snapped his attention straight: Drogo, and gold, and the name of Grayson.

Anna's mouth had gone dry with fear. She had no idea what the man would say next. And though she wanted to know his story more than anybody, she didn't want Debbie Dunning anywhere near him to listen.

"Have to find Drogo… find out where he's hiding the gold," the man repeated.

Debbie's eyes brightened. And then… a strange look of triumph seemed to pass over her face. "So, Muggle, you're looking for the gold that was sent to Drogo prison. I… see." She looked at Anna and smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere. Whose gold are you searching for?" She turned to stare at Anna again, her face a bizarre study of unbent conquest. "And… who were they sending it to?"

The man looked up quickly. "Grayson gold — gold, I believe, Boris Grayson has taken from several accounts around the world."

"That's a lie," Anna snapped back." My father didn't take anything. That gold was sent as a donation for the…" she suddenly stopped, glaring furiously at Debbie. "It's of no concern to anybody outside my family."

"For the health and welfare of those in Drogo prison…" Debbie finished with a smile, and Anna's eyes widened in surprise. Debbie looked on the verge of giddy delight. "What's the matter, Anna? Your little secret not as safe as you might have thought?" Her eyes were sparkling. "Don't worry. I already know all about what you're hiding in Drogo Prison."

What once was a steady, building anger within Anna's gut was suddenly shunted for the sake of uncertainty. "What are you talking about?" she blurted out angrily.

Debbie's attention seemed to wander for the briefest moment. "What I don't understand is… how you found out Drogo was even up here," the girl continued. "Top secret information, that is. Only a small number of wizards in the entire world know Drogo's real location."

Anna glowered back at her. "I've known about Drogo all year. So what? If it's supposed to be such a well kept secret, why do you know about it?"

Debbie shook her head derisively. "Because my brother is Captain of the Crimson Guard, of course, you brainless twit. He's responsible for all the guards on this plateau, including those of his lieutenants in the city, in the castle, and… those stationed at Drogo too." She paused and then pointed her wand at them again. "That's how I came to learn… about your family secret there." Anna frowned.

"Oh… how I've longed to be the one to tell everybody at Castlewood about you." Debbie's lips curled into a sneer. "The Graysons — who always put their family honor above all; always… so proud. Oh… if only I could tell them the truth," she said mockingly.

Anna was caught speechless. The line separating her anger and confusion had now been reduced to a razor's thin edge. She had no idea what Dunning was talking about. _What Grayson family secret did she think she knew? _Anna found her brain caught between two extremes. She desperately wanted to know what Debbie was ranting about, but she also knew from the pleasure it seemed to be giving her it wasn't going to be good.

"I can't tell you how long I've waited for this opportunity," Debbie continued. "I couldn't say anything before, of course, because it would mean by brother's job if I told anybody what he told me about the high and mighty Grayson clan."

Anna's blood was pounding in her ears. She could feel a deadly coldness swelling in her heart. "Either tell me what you're talking about, Dunning, or shut your mouth. I don't know what you and that brother of yours think you know about my family, but if you're planning on walking out of these woods in one piece…"

"Didn't you ever wonder why my brother didn't throw you off this mountain after you attacked him in his office?" Debbie said, cutting Anna short. "Didn't you wonder why he didn't stomp you like a bug the moment you raised a hand to strike him? Did you really think my brother would allow a student, worst of all –– a Grayson, to do what you did without a self preserving reason?"

Anna couldn't find a way to answer. At the time, she knew Captain Dunning was hiding something. She had convinced herself it was because she had accidentally found Drogo's location that kept him from expelling her after she attacked him; but now… she wasn't sure of anything.

"Other than a select few out of the Ministry, nobody knows where Drogo is except for my brother and the men under his command in the Shadowed Forest. Even Drogo's guards must have their memories modified after their tour of duty there is over. These precautions are meant to keep Drogo's location a secret after the men are reassigned. Not even those who have family imprisoned there are allowed to know where their relatives are locked up. If word ever got out that somebody had discovered Drogo's location without the _Secret Keeper's_ knowledge…"

"It would mean your brother's job," Anna finished for her.

Debbie shrugged. "He could have modified your memory at the time, of course, but that would've been much too risky to do on a student. He should have done it anyway… but your attack on him made that completely unnecessary, didn't it? My brother knew you would never utter a word about Drogo if he threatened your expulsion from Castlewood."

The man next to Anna began to moan again, holding his head in obvious pain. Anna could see the charms of the forest were extracting a terrible toll on him.

"So… how did you find out about Drogo, anyway?" Debbie asked. "Did your father tell you?" The sinister shadow of something evil was invading the girl's voice. Anna glared at her, not willing to reply. "No… I suppose not," Debbie answered herself. "Not even the powerful Boris Grayson is allowed to know where the prison is. My brother told me your father always uses a blind port key within the Ministry just like everyone else when he comes in for a visit. So how did you find out?"

"If you must know, I saw it during vollucross practice," Anna growled back.

"Liar!" Debbie seethed. "Nobody can see Drogo from the air. You couldn't see Drogo even if you were standing right next to it."

Anna grinned. For the briefest moment, she was enjoying Debbie's uncertainty. "Have it your way, then. I suppose it just came to me in a dream."

There was a pause between them before Debbie raised Anna's wand. She seemed to be studying it pryingly. "You told me in the dueling hall this belonged to your mother, isn't that right?"

Anna was surprised by the question. Although she couldn't remember giving Debbie this bit of information, she couldn't remember much of anything about that day in the pit. Except, of course, for the blood, she remembered everything about Debbie Dunning's blood. A low growl rumbled deep within Anna's chest as she peered out at Debbie from under her lowered brow.

"Yes… that was my mother's wand," she said, suddenly finding it difficult to speak.

"So many little secrets…" Debbie cooed, in a light singsong voice. "The Graysons do love their privacies." She looked at Anna again and smiled. "Tell me, when was the last time your mother saw her wand?" The Muggle groaned again. He sounded like Gwen in response to Debbie's question.

"What?" Anna snapped back.

Debbie smirked in the relaxed and contemptuous way Anna always hated. "So… how is ol' mummy these days?"

The words hit Anna like a blow to the stomach. She glared at Debbie angrily. "My mother is dead," she snarled back before raising a pointed finger, "and be careful what you say next, Dunning. One more word about my mother… and I'll tear your head off."

Debbie smiled at the threat. "Dead, is she? Oh… what a shame. I had assumed that she was just letting you borrow her wand."

"Must find Drogo…" the Muggle moaned again. His words snapped Anna's attention away from Debbie. Feeling enormous pity for the man, she reached over and took him by the arm once more.

"By the way… how did your mother die, anyway?"

Anna jerked up and glared back at the girl. She had heard enough. "None of your business. Now give me back my wand!"

"Oh… but why? We were having such a friendly little chat. It's fun sharing secrets just between us girls, don't you think? I would have thought that, after all this time, you would want to tell somebody about the secret your family keeps locked away inside Drogo prison."

"Drogo?" yelped the Muggle. "Where is it? Is it close by? I've been looking for it."

"What are you talking about?" Anna snarled back. "My family… they don't… what the hell…?"

"The secret's out, Anna; the big one," Debbie retorted, triumphantly. "The one I've been dying to tell your little Guardian friends all year long. I wonder… how many will go back to their old Unions once they find out the truth. Oh, boo-hoo… no more Guardian Union, one more attempt for Grayson glory wasted away."

"Shut up!" Anna screamed, balling her fists in rage. "Shut… up!" Her frustration began to spill out in a rush. "You and that brother of yours are the foulest people I've ever known. You're evil, hateful — rotten to the center, and as much as I've tried to avoid the both of you, you just keep coming. Following me everywhere, looking to get me into trouble. And now you dare to threaten a lie against by family? I've had enough of you. If it means being thrown out of Castlewood to see your brother gone, then for the sake of all the other students I'm ready to do it. In fact, I can't wait!"

Debbie looked surprisingly calm as she raised her wand at Anna. "Would you really? Would you go down in flames just to ruin my brother?"

"Yes! I'm tired of this. Castlewood isn't worth seeing the two of you everyday. I've had it!"

"And what about the rest of your family? Would you also see them disgraced for the sake of ruining my brother?"

"This has nothing to do with my family. I was the one who hit your brother. The rest of my family didn't have anything to do with that."

"But once the secret gets out about what you're hiding in Drogo, I'm not so sure the rest of your clan will be able to show their faces on this plateau ever again."

"For the last time –– my family doesn't have any secrets!"

Debbie's eyes suddenly sparkled maliciously in the pallid moonlight. She stepped forward. "Oh really? What about…that little secret… concerning your mother being locked up in the dungeons of Drogo?"

Anna was horror-struck. At Debbie's words, she stumbled back on weakened knees. There was something that suddenly flashed hot down in her throat. "How… dare you…" Anna whispered, barely getting the words out of her mouth. "How dare you… say such a thing!"

Debbie was smiling triumphantly, enjoying the pain her words instilled in Anna's reaction.

"You stand there… and dare… to even speak of my mother, and then say something like that? I'm gonna rip you apart!" Anna suddenly came forward.

"Stop — or your Muggle friend gets it," Debbie yelled back.

It took Anna another two full steps before halting. She pointed threateningly at Debbie. "If you say another word, I'm warning you…"

"Oh… I guess the truth would cause a bit of pain," Debbie sighed in mocked remorse, and then she smiled again. "It does my heart good to see a Grayson in pain. It's no wonder, having a lunatic for a mother can be somewhat difficult to…"

"I said, shut your disgusting mouth! I won't have you telling lies about my mother."

"Lies?"

"Yes, lies. My mother is dead."

Debbie shrugged. "Well… I suppose being dead in one's mind might be considered dead in reality, but I don't think her jailers at Drogo would agree."

"My mother is not in Drogo Prison! She died thirteen years ago. It was an accident."

"Now who's lying?" Debbie said insufferably. "You can't hide anymore, Anna. My brother told me the truth after you attacked him earlier this year. I've never seen him so angry than on that day, and I couldn't believe it when he told me what you did. I couldn't believe he didn't kill you on the spot. That's when I told him I would do it. I would gladly make your life a living hell every moment of every day. We saw our chance that day in the dueling hall, but again you got away with putting your hands on a member of the Dunning family, on me! That's the day I saw you for what you really are… a freak. Another Grayson secret kept hidden from the world. Anna Grayson, the half-human beast; some kind of deranged creature on the path to being just like her mother — locked in a cage."

Anna could barely hear Debbie's words. Her blood boiled with rage while her heart began giving off sharp crackling sounds, freezing into a mass of blackened ice. The Lethifold wanted to belch forth from out of her soul and attack, but Anna knew something bigger was coming. From the deepest regions of her core, a bottomless growl issued forth, and Anna realized something terrible was trying to push its way forward. Although she didn't know what it was, she clearly understood its nature; it wanted to finish what it started when it tried to kill Debbie in the dueling hall.

"I can't wait to tell the whole world the truth," Debbie continued. "Anna Grayson's mother, a prisoner inside Saint Drogo's Hospital for Incurable Lost Causes."

"SHUT UP!" Anna screamed, dropping to her knees to seize her buzzing head. She glared up at Debbie's form now blurring in and out of focus in front of her and Anna snarled. Crouching low, she wanted with all her strength to spring at the thing laughing at her just a few feet away.

"Oh my God…" came a voice to her right, and Anna snapped around to glare at the Muggle who was sprawled on the ground next to her. He began kicking his feet outward, trying to scramble away from her. He could see the narrow cat-like eyes staring hungrily at him, her jaws widening, and fangs – luminescent, white daggers glowing in the moonlight. Anna raised a hand to strike at the man and then caught herself. She stared disbelievingly at the massive black claws now protruding from her own half-fingers.

"Don't hurt me," the man yelled, trying desperately to move away from her.

"_Lumos!"_ yelled Dunning, and a beam of white light cut the space between them once more.

Anna turned to hide her face. _No_. She couldn't let Debbie see her like this. A cold stillness hovered within the darkness surrounding them; even the insects were quiet in the unexpected light of Debbie's wand.

"I don't believe it," Dunning said softly, staring at Anna's back crouched low on the ground before her. "You really… didn't know… did you?"

Anna was taking slow calming breaths. _It's a lie. Debbie is lying. It wasn't true._

"Oh… this is even better than I could have imagined," Debbie gloated evilly. "So… daddy Grayson didn't even tell his own daughter that her mother was still alive, did he?" She laughed derisively. "Oh… how very nice."

Anna was staring at her hands, flexing them in what little moonlight was available to see; they had returned to normal. It took every bit of strength she possessed to push the beast within her back down again; to rip the creature's lock on her will away and swallow it back down. She glared up into Dunning's light.

"You're lying, and I don't have to listen to your vicious ranting anymore. Come on," Anna said, grabbing the cowering man by the arm and yanking him rudely to his feet again. "I'm getting you out of here."

"_Relashio!"_ Debbie bellowed, and Anna looked up in time to see the canopy above them exploding in a shower of sparks. The Muggle began screaming again.

"_Diffindo — __Relashio __— __Diffindo __— __Relashio!"_ Debbie was firing her wand upward. Again and again, the blasts exploded into the trees and branches above them. Huge pieces of wood and debris were falling down like rain as Debbie continued to plow her way through, trying to get a signal out into the night sky. Anna was sheltering the crying man, trying to calm his terrified panic. Finally, Debbie broke through and they saw an explosion like fireworks high in the sky beyond the treetops.

"_Periculum!" _Debbie bellowed again, sending another stream of red sparks streaking into the air.

"That ought to bring half the town," Debbie bragged. "Our Muggle friend will soon be on his way home again, minus the ability to remember where he's been, of course." Debbie smiled. "What do you think? I suppose I could save the guards a lot of trouble and try wiping his memory myself. I've never done it before, but I've always wanted to try." She raised her wand.

"You leave him alone," Anna yelled back, stepping in front of the man.

"Have it your way," Debbie said insipidly, lowering her arm. "But I would think, you of all people, would want to keep this man quiet, given what he could tell them about your family."

Anna glared at her. "This man can't hurt my family, and nobody's going to believe your ugly lies."

Debbie frowned. "You know… I'm getting tired of you calling me a liar. I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to believe me, seeing how that would make your father the one who's been lying to you." She walked over to the man cowering low against a tree and paused to stoop down.

"But there is one sure way of finding out if what I've told you is true." She looked down at the man. "Muggle — you never answered my question."

"What? I'm sorry… are the fireworks over?" the man answered, somewhat bemusedly.

"Idiot…" Debbie muttered. "Tell me Muggle… you said Boris Grayson was sending gold to Drogo?"

"Yes — yes… Grayson gold… I must find Drogo."

Debbie looked up and smiled wickedly at Anna again as she spoke. "And… to whom was Grayson sending this gold?"

The man looked up at the two girls in turn and, for a moment that seemed undying, Anna's heart stopped.

"He was sending it … to his wife… for the care of his wife at Drogo."

Anna stood there looking at the man, his words echoing through her head like gunshot in an abandoned cave. She could hear her father's voice argue back — _She died in an accident._ But was that really the truth, or was there another truth?

Anna turned to Debbie. "If you repeat these lies to anybody… I'll see to it you and that brother of yours are..."

Debbie was smiling. "I don't have to say anything now, because… you see…" she leaned in, coming so close Anna could feel her breath brushing against her cheek, "I prefer to destroy my enemies…from within." Anna angrily stepped forward and found the point of her own wand pressing into her chest. Debbie was laughing maliciously as Anna snatched the purple heart out of her hand.

"Just remember what I said, Dunning. If I hear you repeating any of this to anybody…"

"Who goes there?" came another voice from the woods. "Identify yourself, immediately!"

"It's Debbie Dunning," Debbie hollered back. "We're over here."

"You the one sending up the sparks?"

A moment later, at least twenty Crimson Guards began pouring out of the woods and on doors and brooms through the burnt gap in the canopy overhead.

FIVE

Later that night, Doctor Pearl was escorting the Muggle away on a floating door. Anna could see the man looked unconscious.

"The poor dear," Pearl said, shaking her head. "Lost for three days in the Shadowed Forest… with no food or water? It's a wonder he survived the nights, never mind the creatures in these woods. You're in good hands now," she said lovingly, taking the man's limp hand in her own as one would a lost child. "You'll be right as rain in no time."

"And you say… you've never seen this man before, Miss Grayson?" asked John Hayman. The lieutenant was standing next to Anna with a quill in his hand, writing his report on a piece of rolled parchment.

"No… I've never seen him before tonight," Anna replied.

"But he knows your father. He kept repeating Boris Grayson's name when I was questioning him. Any idea why he might have come up here?"

"No… I only know what he said while I was with him. He was looking for a place called… Drogo Prison," Anna explained, glowering over at Debbie who was giving her own account of the evening to another guard. _Was she telling them lies about her mother?_

"Yes… I heard him mention that too," Hayman replied. "He also said something about looking for gold before we wiped away his memory. Poor devil; God only knows how he even heard about Drogo Prison, never mind why he might have thought it was up here, of all places." Anna watched Hayman's face for any furtive signals. There weren't any. She could tell the lieutenant had no idea Drogo was just over the northern mountains.

"Strange… very strange indeed," he hummed. "The Ministry is going to have a difficult time explaining all of this."

"Sir…" interrupted another guard, walking up to them.

"Yes, Tom. What is it?"

"We found a photo ID on the Muggle." He handed the man's wallet to Hayman, who flipped it open.

"Says here his name is Sidney Heidelbach… from Chicago." He looked up at Anna again. "Ring any bells?" Anna shook her head. Hayman heaved and then shrugged unknowingly. "Well… it's a good thing you heard him calling for help. I don't think he would have lasted another night out here in these woods."

"Can I go back to the castle now?" Anna asked the lieutenant, trying to sound tired.

"Yes… of course. I think that would be best. I'll have a couple of my men escort you back." He snapped his fingers and a Crimson Guard stepped forward and nodded.

"This way, Miss Grayson," the guard said, pushing the branch of a tree aside to show her the way out.

Anna said nothing the entire trip back to the city. Too many thoughts were stampeding through her head to allow for idle conversation. _What Debbie Dunning said wasn't true. It couldn't be true._ And yet, everything Anna could sense of the truth told her that Debbie did believe it. _And what about this Muggle man, this Sidney Heidelbach person? What was his connection to all of this, and how could this stranger confirm what Debbie had said? It had to be a lie. My father wouldn't… he couldn't have lied to me, not about my mother. How could Victoria Grayson, the woman my father loved so much, be locked away in Drogo prison?_

She began searching her memory for every conversation she had shared with her father about her mother. Had he been hiding something from her for all these years? Was it possible that her mother _was_ alive? And then, as Anna was about to step across the drawbridge toward the castle, she stopped. She remembered the words her father had said when he was comparing Anna's anger to that of her mother.

"_You must… stay your control, because… even the briefest moments of madness can lead… to the loss of one's sanity. Never allow your anger to go that far, Anna. For even touching the edge of madness… is like summoning the abyss."_

Tears began to leak down Anna's checks. Had his words represented some practical knowledge, or were they from his own personal experiences, something he had seen… perhaps… in her mother?

"Miss Grayson?" Anna looked up and saw her Crimson escort standing in the castle's gate. "It's getting late, you should be inside," he said, motioning her through the iron portcullis. Anna ran across the bridge, through the archway and into the courtyard, barely noticing the tiny whispers inside the walls as she passed. When the sound of the gate closed behind her, she stopped again and looked into the night sky. The stars were blurred from the tears welling in her eyes.

"No… it's not true. It can't be true. Debbie is a liar!" She looked up at the castle's enormous edifice, and could see the silhouette of a man pacing across the window in the Chancellor's office.

"There has to be a way to find the truth," she said, staring at the shadow behind the glass. "There must be some way I can…" she saw the glimmer of something red flash in the window, and it suddenly hit her.

"Of course…" she whispered, surprised that she hadn't thought of it right away. She marched determinedly up the steps and burst through the front doors of the castle where another guard stood on duty inside the foyer.

"Curfew begins in ten minutes, Guardian. Do you know where you're going?"

Anna never looked back. "Yes… I know exactly where I'm going," she said, running up the marble staircase. "I have an appointment… with a gorilla."

The guard frowned as Anna disappeared at the top of the stairs and into the hallway beyond.

255


	37. The Jungles of the World Speak

Chapter 37d33 – The Jungles of the World Speak

Chapter 37

The Jungles of the World Speak

ONE

As Anna entered the Server Hall, she was praying nobody would notice her. She wasn't in the mood for happy conversation right now. She walked quickly with her head down, avoiding eye contact with everybody as she headed up the girl's staircase. She had to get to the Verosapt as quickly as possible. When she reached the fourth floor, she turned and ran into Gwen.

"Whoa –– hey, there you are. I just came from knocking on your door. Sarah told me you were still at prac — Hey!" Anna walked straight passed her.

"Not now, Gwen — I've got something important I need to do."

"Wait a minute…" Gwen was jogging behind to catch up. "Where's the fire? What's so important?"

Anna whipped out her wand and blasted the knob on her door from five paces. It flew open with a bang as she entered and Gwen could hear Sarah's panicked scream inside.

"What's happened? What's the matter?"

Gwen entered the room just in time to see Anna pushing her way passed her roommate and toward the bedroom to the back.

"Anna… What's –– going –– on?" Gwen bellowed, raising her voice and glaring at Sarah. Anna's roommate looked terrified. The two followed Anna into the bedroom and found her staring at the kaleidoscope sitting on her dresser."

"I know she's lying," Anna whispered hesitantly.

"Who's lying? What's going on? Who's been lying to you?"

Anna glared back at Gwen with a look of penetrating loathing. "Debbie Dunning."

"Oh no… now what? What did she do?"

Anna stared at the kaleidoscope again. "Unspeakable lies."

Hesitating slightly, Anna raised her hand and placed it upon the ruby mounted on the scope's barrel.

"The _Keeper_ commands you to speak!"

At once, a beam of red light shot from out of the gem and spread itself wide before them. Billowing gray smoke could be seen writhing inside the center of the light and the echoing sounds of a far off jungle began to fill the room.

"What's happening? What is this?" Sarah said in surprise, backing away fearfully as her eyes darted around the room for the source of the howling birdcalls.

Gwen moved forward to stand next to Anna in front of the dresser. "Anna… what is this thing?"

"Shhh," Anna snapped, stepping back as the enormous face of the gorilla came forward. Gwen gasped when she saw the creature reveal his massive fangs, set like sharpened bolts as he spoke. His tone was thick with malice, exposing a nature completely absent of patience.

"_So… hath the Keeper FINALLY decided to pluck the strings of truth witnessed by the Verosapt?"_

"I have," Anna said, determinedly. And then, without a moment's pause, she said, "I need to know…"

"_Halt!"_ bellowed the great ape amidst the excited clatter of a world unseen behind him. He stared at her fixedly, and then Anna could see his eyes moving to the girls standing behind her. _"Thus, it is, I am the representative of truth and knowledge, passed to me through the eyes of my brethren kind. Thou hast but to ask the question of thy choice and the wisdom of the hoard will be given unto thee. However, I must know… who art these humans with thee, daughter of Victoria? Our knowledge is meant… for the Keeper alone!" _

Anna looked back at Gwen and Sarah. A small part of her wanted them to leave: Because the question she was about to ask was so private, so personal, it could very well influence the rest of her life forever. But who else would understand what the next few seconds would mean to her? Who else could comprehend the magnitude of what she was now about to do? She wanted Eric by her side, but the absent facts about her mother's death had been eating away at the fabric of Anna's soul for as long as she could remember. She couldn't wait any longer.

Sarah made a move toward the door. "I'll leave… if… you want me to," she said, almost pleadingly.

Anna looked at Gwen.

"Yeah… I guess we'll go, then," Gwen said, with the transparent look of a toddler unwillingly leaving the circus. Anna thought and then turned back to the scope.

"They are my friends. I want them to stay with me."

The creature grumbled reproachfully. _"Very well."_ His magical voice seemed to reverberate under the floor beneath them before his giant head suddenly loomed forward into the room to face Anna, his yellowed fangs bared_. _

"_But thus be warned: Dost not let the wisdom thee seeketh be of vanity or arrogance, little one. The Verosapt is not to be abused with such human treacheries. Thou art permitted one question now and no other until the day of thine entry passes through time again. Pray for wisdom in what thee seeketh as we claim thy caution. Truth is the illumination within the darkness of one's soul, and hath the power to displace all thou art or ever hopeth to be. But truth can also weigheth heavy on the mortal mind, especially… for one so young."_ He stared at her, his narrowed eyes suddenly relaxing. _"Dost the Keeper understand us?"_ Anna nodded resignedly. Finally the creature, still holding his gaze long enough to insure his meaning secure, began to fall back_. _

"_Bravery in the face of the unknown is indeed… admirable," _he said, warily. _"Feareth not the fidelity of the knowledge thou seeketh, Keeper. We art of the same blood; thus, it is, the jungles of the world await thy examination."_

Anna thought. She could see she had to be careful about the way she asked the question. It should be open-ended, requiring more than just a simple yes or no reply. Anna cast her mind about for a moment and then said, quite assuredly, "I'd like to know… how Victoria Grayson died?"

Instantly, there was a mad mixture of squawking and hooting in the background as thousands of animals and creatures began to sound as one. Finally, the great ape roared to silence them. He looked down at Anna, the irritation she had seen earlier now replaced with concern.

"_Art thou certain this be the knowledge thee seeketh, little one? Thus… I offer thee, for the last time, my caution of the pain such realities can bringeth unto thy heart. Be very sure of this." _

Anna was resolute. "I am sure. Tell me how my mother died."

The gorilla leaned back to pause. _"Very well… the Verosapt wilt now searcheth the truth in what it seeks."_

He tilted his head back and began to listen to the increasing clatter of the masses behind him. Anna could hear more creatures joining the exchange. From every corner of the globe, from every hovel and hole, they sang, screeched, and called: A cry of an eagle, the roar of a large cat, deep bellowing sounds emanating from an ocean's depths. On and on they added their voices, working to resolve Anna's question.

"Oh… my God," Gwen said, fearfully. She slowly sat on the bed next to Sarah, her grip of what was about to happen strengthening.

"What is it, Gwen? What's happening?" Sarah asked, looking both scared and confused. Gwen looked at her and then to Anna standing before the kaleidoscope.

"I don't think Anna has ever truly accepted the entire story of her mother's death," Gwen replied, worriedly. "Debbie Dunning must have said something terrible to force her into doing this." She shook her head. "I'm worried even if Anna finds out she already knows the truth… there's going to be a reckoning with the captain's sister. But if there's more to the story, if Anna finds out she doesn't know the whole truth…" She looked at Sarah and could see comprehension growing across the other girl's face. Sarah looked back at Anna, who had buried her face in prayer while she waited. And then, all at once, the squawking clatter ceased and the great ape lowered his head to look down.

"_Thirteen years dead and dying,"_ he said in a tone filled with great sorrow. Anna frowned. His words were familiar to her and pushed her thoughts back to the day when she first learned about the scope's true purpose, when the hoard was testing her rightful place as the scope's new Keeper. The creature had said the same words then as well.

"_Thy mother was attacked… in a remote forest on the day of thine entry thirteen years ago… by a beast most foul."_

Anna was stunned, and she could hear Gwen gasp behind her. "What?" Anna said, disbelievingly. "What beast attacked her?"

"_We of the Verosapt doth not speak of it! It, and its kind, wert banned from the sum to our knowledge thousands of years ago."_

"So… are you saying that my mother was killed by… this creature?"

The great ape narrowed his gaze upon her. _"Yes…"_ he said, meaningfully.

Anna stumbled back, the sharp pain of shock was slicing into her chest; her mind was reeling. _She was killed._ _It wasn't an accident that took her from me; it was a creature. Why didn't my father tell me?_

"_And… nay." _

Anna snapped up to stare at the ape whose eyes were closed again.

"No? No… what?"

The gorilla opened his eyes once more to look down at her. _"The Keeper Victoria was attacked by a creature possessed of evil… but it didst not completely destroy her."_ Gwen suddenly stood, shocked at what they had just heard.

Anna gaped. "I… don't understand. Is she dead or not?"

"_That is another question. Only one question is allowed." _

His words froze Anna's heart to its core. She could feel a great lurch of pain in her stomach forcing its way up. She didn't understand why this would be considered a different question, but any reinforcing notion that her mother might still be alive gave her hope.

"I don't understand. You said Victoria died, but now you're saying the creature that attacked her didn't kill her. What does that…?" Anna stopped. She tilted her head to frown up at the creature within the red mist. "What did you mean… when you said, 'Thirteen years dead and dying'? Does that mean she died, but her memory lives on?" The squawking began again while the Verosapt contemplated an answer.

"_Many art the shapes of death. It doth stir on levels too vast to count, but much more than a memory of thy mother still exists… in the dungeons of Drogo."_

At this, Anna clasped her mouth in horror. "No…" she moaned, shaking her head in disbelief. "It can't be… my mother is still alive?"

The great ape surveyed her cautiously. _"Thy species is limited in its comprehension of life in all its many forms. But for the sake of thy limited understanding — yes, what remaineth of Victoria Grayson still breathes in thus a form unfitting the Keeper of Verosapt."_

Anna's head was exploding with the images of her mother, the pictures of her wedding day, the portrait over her father's desk. She stumbled back and was caught by Gwen, who walked her back to the bed and sat her down.

"Nooo… it can't be?" Anna suddenly burst into tears. "How can this be true? Why didn't he tell me?" Gwen was hugging her, trying desperately to calm her friend. "Why would my father lie to me?"

Gwen pulled back. "Anna – I don't believe any of this. That thing is speaking in riddles. First it says your mother is dead — and now it's saying she's alive." She looked up at the creature within the billowing mist and shook her head. "It doesn't really know what the truth is. How can he possibly know?"

At this, the great ape threw his head back and roared before glowering down angrily at Gwen._ "The Verosapt is wisdom beyond the ages. We represent the truth in all its countless forms."_

"Stop it!" Gwen hollered back, looking at Anna who was shaking uncontrollably. "You're confusing her with your lies. Victoria Grayson died years ago. Everyone knows that. Why are you hurting her?"

The gorilla bristled and seethed_. "Didst I not warn the Keeper? Didst I not foretell the truth couldeth be as a mountain's weight on a fragile mind?"_

"What truth?" Gwen stood and angrily approached the scope. "Is Victoria Grayson alive? No more riddles — yes or no!"

"_Thou art not of Jennings' blood,"_ the ape snarled back. _"Thus — thy questions are as insults to the hoard; thou wilt be ignored."_

"Then answer Anna's question properly. No more lies!"

The ape roared again, propelling Gwen backwards to the floor. _"Away with thee — puny human!"_

Anna grabbed Gwen and pulled her to her feet with a sudden strength that stunned her friend. She then turned to face the beast.

"Please… tell me how she died?"

The beast glared angrily at Anna. _"Dost the Keeper not, even now, recognize the shelter we offer it… in not answering? Have thee no insight into benevolence?"_

Anna had reached the breaking point. "I'm not asking for your shelter. I want the truth — now!"

The jungle in the background suddenly fell silent. The beast glared down, piercing Anna's soul with a fixed stare so intense it felt like her skin was being peeled away. Seconds passed like days.

"_Humans…"_ he finally rumbled, reproachfully. _"Very well. With the clarity of exactness thou might comprehend: Thus it is… the beast that attacketh Victoria Grayson, most foul, destroyed nearly all her family might summon of her memory, and what remains is locked within Drogo: Dead and dying, alive but not living, touched by death but breathing still."_

"So… my mother _is_ alive…" Anna said uncertainly, her voice beginning to weaken.

"_The answer to thy question is one of endless circled debate, lacking confidence and certainty even within our hoarded wisdom,"_ the ape replied. _"It is best left to thy next day of entry."_

Anna sat down on her bed, the agony in her face evident as the truth pressed itself in. She fell onto her side and turned to face the wall, the weight of her entire world crumbling down upon her.

"How could you lie to me? All these years… you told me she was dead. Daddy… how could you…?" Her words were slowly drowned away in her growing sobs. "How… could… you?"

Gwen and Sarah stood behind their friend completely lost for words. As they moved to comfort Anna, the great ape spoke once more.

"_Sometimes the path from truth unto understanding is long and most difficult." _He looked down at Gwen and Sarah._ "Care for the Keeper: She wilt need thee now as never before."_ And with these words, the gray smoke withdrew into the light, which narrowed to a single, red beam. The beam dropped into the ruby once more and closed with a soft click.

Gwen crawled in behind Anna on the bed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. More than offering her loving support, Gwen knew she was holding on to Anna as one would a friend trying to leap off the edge of a cliff. Anna sobbed desperately, and clutched onto Gwen's strength as her shattered mind drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the night.

TWO

Over the next several days, Anna was completely withdrawn. Gwen and Sarah did their best to comfort her, but they knew the person she truly needed more than anybody now was Eric. But to their surprise, Anna refused to see her brother. In fact, it seemed Anna had lost interest in nearly everything that mattered to her before the Verosapt had been summoned for the truth, before she knew her mother was still alive and being held in Drogo prison.

When Gwen suggested she tell Eric what she had learned, Anna flatly refused. She was convinced her father and the rest of her family already knew the truth, and had been keeping it a secret from her since the day she was born. To make matters worse, Anna had even come to believe the teachers of Castlewood had known this terrible secret and she stopped going to most of her classes and vollucross practice altogether. Her days and nights were spent walking alone and wrestling with the horrors locked within her own thoughts.

Eric could see something was troubling his sister, but he was so busy studying for his senior wizarding tests and working to find the last Guardian that he found himself completely dependent on Gwen's interpretation of Anna's moodiness as nothing more than the expected pressure of their final exams.

But Gabby could plainly see Anna was in trouble. Although the Grayson house elf had been nearly invisible for most of her time while at Castlewood, Gwen was astounded at how quickly the creature could sense something was wrong with her mistress.

For her part, Gabby had become something of an unknown hero to most of the students at the school, because she had taken to following Debbie Dunning throughout the castle and warning the Guardians of her movements. This was especially true in the second week of June when Janet Wardrop was nearly caught after curfew with a Searcher boy she had been dating all year. It was Gabby who saved them from the captain's sister when the elf tipped over a particularly fowl smelling bucket of goop on Debbie's head as she chased the couple toward the tower room. When asked what the brewing and bubbling mess was in the bucket, the elf shyly explained it was sap excrement she picked up in the forest from something she called a strangling zombie vine. The hallway where Debbie was ambushed was roped off for two days due to the nauseating smell, and Debbie Dunning wasn't seen in class for nearly a week. Gabby's relentless harassment of the captain's sister was joyously hailed and cheered in every Union Hall, but the Guardians, fearful their champion might eventually be caught, would only refer to her in public as –– _Debbie's curse._

But now that Anna was in trouble, it seemed Gabby was visible everywhere. She followed her mistress on her long walks through the castle's courtyards, and brought her food from the kitchens when she didn't show up for meals. The elf slept at the foot of Anna's bed and sang lovingly to her when she cried, and although the tiny creature was never told what was wrong with her mistress, that didn't seem to matter to her anyway. An elf's life was to serve her family.

Finally, the week of the third Triwizard task was upon them and Gwen and Sarah noticed a sudden and remarkable change in Anna's behavior. She was flying again, and was reportedly seen soaring well above the five hundred foot ceiling on several occasions. This brought a serious reprimand from Doctor Pearl who was overheard yelling at Anna twice about traveling out of bounds and too near the surrounding mountains.

"My mistress is fine, now," Gabby reported happily to Gwen, who had come to check on Anna one evening before dinner. "I is seeing her eating well in the Rotunda," chirped the elf, sitting contentedly on the bed and folding Anna's laundry.

Gwen flew down the staircase, through the tunnel connecting the Tower Room to the castle, and into the Rotunda where she found Anna eating dinner with a number of other Guardians.

"Hey," Gwen said, surprised at her friend's newfound appetite. Anna's plate was stacked to overflowing with chicken, mashed potatoes, salted corn, and half a ham still on its bone to the side. She drank deeply from her goblet of pumpkin juice, and crammed thick slices of buttered bread into her mouth as if somebody uninvited was about to take it from her.

"Hey yourself… how are you?" Anna replied, through a very full mouth.

"I'm okay," Gwen replied, sitting down across the table from her. "How are you feeling?"

Anna gulped the rest of her juice and then slammed the cup down loud enough to make her neighbors jump.

"Ahhhh…. I'm great."

She ripped off another leg from the pattered bird next to her, and tore into it with all the enthusiasm of a starved bear. As she ate, Anna stared at Gwen intensely over her fisted meal, giving her friend the eerie feeling she might be next on the menu.

"Uhh… well… that's good. Are you sleeping all right?"

"Never better," Anna replied flippantly, sucking on the end of her chicken before tossing the bone uncaringly over her shoulder. Her gaze fell upon the platter again, and Gwen could hear her muttering to herself, "Never… better," before ripping the second leg out of its socket and spattering her own face with its juice. She didn't bother wiping it off as she wolfed the meat down, staring unnervingly again at Gwen across the table. Her gaze was only broken when Sarah sat down next to them.

"Hey Sarah… thanks for giving me some space to myself these last couple of days. You can come back to your own bed if you like," Anna said, crunching the greasy end of the bone unflinchingly with her back molars.

"Oh, okay… it really wasn't a problem. Heather Thomas doesn't have a roommate yet, so she let me borrow the extra bed." Sarah said, tentatively, watching Anna toss another mangled bone over her shoulder before turning her attention to the mashed potatoes. They watched her scoop the fluffy whites off her plate with her fingers and stuff them roughly into her mouth.

"I'll move back tonight, then," Sarah finished, glancing nervously over to Gwen again.

Gwen was surveying Anna closely. In all the years she had known her friend, Gwen could tell two things had happened during her long walks alone on the castle grounds: First, nothing she had learned about her mother had been resolved; and second, despite Anna's efforts to parade a better face, the grief she carried was still clearly there. It had only transformed itself into something much worse… raging anger.

Gwen leaned forward. "Listen, Anna, how about the three of us go for a walk outside. It's a clear night… and very warm. We wouldn't even need our robes."

"Nope… I'm fine right here," Anna replied, shoving more potatoes into her mouth. "Gotta bulk up. Gabby says I haven't been eating right."

"Well… that's true, and I'm glad you seem to be doing so much better, but you're gonna' need to walk that off. Come on — how about it? If you're still hungry, we can go down to Mrs. Smile's for a cone."

Anna's eyes brightened. She immediately swept her plate and cup rudely aside with her forearm. "You buying?" she said, enthusiastically.

"Uhhh… sure: First round's on me, how 'bout it?"

Without another word, Anna was on her feet and heading for the door. They left the castle together, Gwen and Sarah walking and whispering to each other side-by-side, and Anna leading the way four steps in front of them.

"Oh –– it's nice to be outside," Anna said, stretching her arms out to the side and twirling in a funny little circle as they crossed over the drawbridge.

"Hello there — and where are you lovely ladies off to?" It was Stephan Durkin, Gwen's boyfriend.

"Oh — hi, Stephan. Umm… we're just on our way to get some ice cream," Gwen explained, glancing over at Anna who had stopped dancing and was eyeing Stephen in a most peculiar way. She was suddenly still, her head tilted down as she stared at the boy. Gwen could see Anna's eyes darting all over him in a way that made her feel uneasy and surprisingly fearful for Stephan's safety.

"Care for some company?" the boy offered, brightly.

"Well…" Gwen said, still staring at Anna, "it's kind of ladies-night tonight, and… uh…" Suddenly, Gwen could hear something of a throaty hum emanating from Anna. Her eyes were now fixed on the boy and Gwen could hear the low-droning buzz getting louder. She was purring.

"We're going to catch up on some girl talk… you understand…don't you?" Gwen said quickly, stepping in front of Anna to give Stephan a peck on the cheek.

"Oh… okay," Stephan replied, a slight touch of disappointment resonating in his voice. He shrugged. "I… should be hitting the books anyway: First big exam in two days. I'll see you later, then." He gave a quick wave and headed across the drawbridge toward the castle. Anna's eyes followed his every step. When the boy was out of sight, she turned to Gwen and offered an evicting smile.

"Very nice," she said with a flash of thirsty amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"Yeah? For a second there, I thought you were going to jump his bones," Gwen shot back, folding her arms indignantly. Anna grinned and then stepped into Gwen's face.

"Ice cream — a double, please."

Gwen's stern expression forced a smile. "Let's go then."

Twenty minutes later, Anna had finished her ice cream and was eating the rest of Sarah's chocolate swirl. Gwen and Sarah were exchanging significant looks of concern.

"So what do you think Professor Titan will have on his final exam," Sarah asked them, trying to turn their dialogue into something resembling a normal conversation.

"Don't know — don't care," Anna said sharply, taking another huge swipe of ice cream off with her tongue.

"Well — you'd better care. That exam is going to be half your final grade," Gwen warned. Anna's response matched her attitude. She shrugged indifferently.

Sarah decided on a more direct approach. "Anna, when are you going to tell Eric what that oracle thing said about your mother?"

Anna glared angrily at her roommate, and for the first time that night her voice was as sharp as an ice pick between the eyes. "And why the hell would I do that?" she blistered.

"Because he's your brother, and… well… because your family and your father care about you."

Anna looked appalled. "Puaah! My father. If my father really did care, he would've told me the truth, don't you think? What kind of man lies to his own kid about her mother being dead? If Eric and my father didn't care enough to tell me the truth after all these years… I'm on my own."

"You don't mean that," Sarah said, sympathetically. "Anna, I'll bet Eric doesn't know anything about your mother being in… at… that place, and since you don't know anything about her present condition, we can't possibly understand why your father didn't tell you."

"That's right. She could be in a coma, kept alive by extraordinary magical means," Gwen added. "I've heard of healers having to do that sometimes in special cases."

"For thirteen years?" Anna retorted. "And if she is in a comma, why is she locked in a dungeon? Answer me that!" Anna threw her ice cream down in frustration. She looked at them, her eyes blazing with anger. "Well I'm going to find out for myself what the truth is," she said furiously, jabbing her thumb into her chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gwen replied with a frown. "If you're not talking to your family, how do you expect to…?" she stopped. She stared at Anna who seemed completely self-absorbed within her own thoughts. Gwen swallowed hard. "No way. You… you can't be serious," she said, fearfully. "You're not… actually thinking about going there? To Drogo, I mean?"

Anna leaned back without a hint of surprise showing on her face. She crossed her arms defiantly. "And… so? What if I am? Why not?"

"Anna!" Sarah gasped, cupping her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Because it would be insane, that's –– why not," Gwen retorted.

"Well –– it's a good thing I'm going to Drogo then, because I hear it's supposed to be a really good place for incurable lost causes, right?" Anna snapped back.

"Anna… you can't… you wouldn't. Please say you're not serious," Sarah muttered, her eyes wide with fear for her friend.

Anna was unyielding. "Yes, I am. I'm very serious."

The three sat staring at each other, Sarah in a state of shock, Gwen shaking her head in disbelief, and Anna resolute.

"I have to know," Anna said, looking angrily at Sarah. "I have to see for myself," her voice was rising as she turned to Gwen. "I want to see my mother."

There was a pause filled with shocked disbelief. Finally, Gwen reached out and took Anna's hand. "Anna, I love you like a sister, and I understand the way you feel. Your mother was supposed to be…"

Anna snatched her hand away. "You don't know how it feels! Nobody knows how it feels. They lied to me! My father — my family; how can you possibly understand that? My mother is supposed to be dead, and what do I find? Not only is she alive, but she's locked in a dungeon in one of the foulest places on earth." Anna was rising to her feet, her voice gaining volume as she stood.

"Why didn't they tell me? WHY?" Several others sitting at nearby tables turned to stare at them. Unwanted tears began to bloom in Anna's eyes, reflecting the table's candlelight as her rage continued to build. "Was it because they thought the family squib was too delicate to handle the truth, was that it?"

Anna threw her chair back and angrily heaved their table aside. She grabbed Gwen by her collar and pulled her to her feet. "Well I'm going to see the truth for myself!" She shoved Gwen onto Sarah's lap and stormed away.

Gwen and Sarah worked frantically to untangle themselves. "Stop her… we have to stop her," Sarah said desperately. Gwen scrambled back to her feet and kicked a chair out of her way before sprinting after Anna. A few seconds later, Gwen and Sarah were trotting on either side of her.

"Where are you going, Anna?" Gwen barked anxiously.

"I told you where I'm going."

"And how do you intend to get there? You gonna walk through the forest and over those maintains in the middle of the night?"

"If I have to."

"But Drogo is protected by the Fidelius Charm. Nobody knows where it is."

"I know exactly where it is," Anna retorted, walking faster.

"Yes, I know. You said you saw it once before, but Anna… that was months ago. Captain Dunning probably changed the concealment spells when he found out you knew about the place."

"Yes… he did," Anna spat and Gwen froze to the spot.

"What?"

She ran to catch up with Anna again, this time stepping in front to stop her. "Anna, how do you know he changed the spells?" Anna's pursed lips curled themselves into a satisfied smile; comprehension hit Gwen immediately.

"You've seen it again… haven't you?" She grabbed Anna by the shoulders and yanked her straight so she could look directly into her eyes. "Haven't you?" Anna shoved passed her again, and Gwen looked at Sarah in disbelief. "She's lost her mind."

"Gwen, we have to stop her. She's heading for the plateau."

Soon Anna was passing through the city gates and then turned toward Vollucross Stadium. Gwen was walking quickly by her side again.

"What did you do, Anna, take Swooper up there to have another look? Is that what you were doing when Pearl was yelling at you for flying out of bounds? Taking another peek at Drogo again, were you? And what did you see? What did you see, Anna?"

"I saw it's exactly where I left it," Anna bristled, suddenly stopping to cut around Sarah. "The haze surrounding it was a bit darker this time, a little thicker than I remember… but it's still there. The _good_ captain thinks he can hide it from me… as if!"

"So –– you've got it all figured out, have you? So what are you going to do… jump on Swooper and fly in, just land on the ramparts like some kind of tourist?

"Something like that… yeah."

Gwen swept in front of Anna to stop her again. "Anna, you can't do that! Look at what they did to Hobbs just for trying to take a message there." Anna tried to step around her but Gwen grabbed her by the arm. "Anna… those guards will kill you if you go anywhere near that place. Think about it: The guards at Drogo are trained to make sure nobody attempts to do exactly what it is you're doing. You can't break in without being caught. And even if you got inside, how would you hope to find your mother? What are you going to do — attack a guard, steal his keys, and go searching room-to-room, opening the locked doors of murdering lunatics to look for somebody you haven't seen since the day you were born? Think — Anna! Think about what you're doing. It won't work — it can't work!"

"Listen to her, Anna. Gwen is right. The guards will hurt you. They'll catch you and arrest you. They'll contact your father and tell him what you did. You'll be expelled for breaking the law."

"That's right," Gwen added. "Dunning will have you out of here in a flash, and Debbie'll be standing on the dock laughing her fool head off as she throws your trunk and bridle into the harbor after you."

Anna's face was a study of tortured agony. She was visibly trembling as she fell to her knees and then sat on the wet grass. She dropped her forehead heavily onto her knees and began to sob. Gwen and Sarah sat next her, relieved to see some part of reason finally breaking through Anna's stubborn resolve. They watched sympathetically as she rocked back and forth, howling miserably.

After a time, Anna raised her head to rest her reddened face on her arms. "You can't possibly understand what it was like growing up without a mother. Living in that house among the portraits, without a single image of her anywhere, feeling like I didn't belong there, Damon and my sisters constantly reminding me that I was powerless to protect myself, my father and Eric doing everything they could to care for the poor little squib, going to Muggle schools when everybody else was leaving to study magic at Castlewood. My mother should have been there for me! She could have explained why I'm so different. Maybe she would have loved me for who I am, and not for what I was expected to be. That's what mothers are supposed to do, right?" Anna looked up at Gwen, a lifetime of pain and misery pouring down her crying face. Gwen reached in and wiped Anna's tears with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Yeah… I guess so. That's what mothers are supposed to do. They always make it better."

"So what happened? Why isn't she with me now? Why was she running around in some stupid forest, carrying her unborn child into a dangerous place like that? Okay… so she was attacked by something that nearly killed her. Fine! But why was she there? What was she doing?"

"I don't know, Anna," Gwen said, supportively. "All I know is — you can't find the answers by flying off into those mountains. There are guards and spells on every door at Drogo." She dabbed at Anna's tears again and let out a sorrow-filled heave.

"Look… we only have another ten days before we go home. In that time, we have our final exams, the Triwizard Tournament, and your last vollucross race. Then there's Eric's graduation, not to mention finding the last Guardian. There's a lot of do before we get on that ship home again. Let us help you get through these last few days, and then you'll have the whole summer to figure out how to talk to your father about this."

Anna glared at her, but Gwen was ready. "Anna, it's the only way. You have to tell your father what you know. Don't you see? Once you do that, everything else will fall into place. Once you tell him you know the truth, he'll have to explain what happened and why your mother is… was… sent to that place."

Gwen looked at Anna hopefully, surprised by the logic of her own words. But deep down, Gwen knew she was only stalling for time. Keeping Anna from flying away on Swooper was only the beginning. She had to keep Anna on the ground until she saw her getting on that boat back home. She knew if she could keep Anna out of trouble long enough to get her back to California, the rest would take care of itself. Anna would finally confront her father with the truth, and although that wasn't going to be easy, it was the only safe way to resolve the pain she was carrying. Gwen stood and reached down for Anna's hand.

"Come on, _stinky-feet_; let's get you back to the castle."

Anna smiled as she looked up. Once again, she marveled at the value of Gwen's friendship. She looked at Sarah standing behind her and reached out to both of them. With a great heave, they pulled her to her feet and Gwen began to brush the damp grass off of Anna's pants.

"Ohh… your butt's all wet. I guess it wasn't a good idea to go out without our robes after all."

They headed back across the plateau, through the city gate, and onto the cobbled streets of the city. When they reached the drawbridge, they stopped to watch the moat beneath them. The water was swift and muddy from the spring thaw.

Finally, Anna looked up. "Do you really think Debbie Dunning would throw my bridle into the harbor if they kicked me out of here?"

Gwen huffed. "Yeah… she would, the nasty little worm… and then I'd be forced to hex her big, fat butt in after it. Then you'd have to break into Drogo to visit me." Anna didn't laugh as much as Gwen would have hoped.

They headed into the castle with Sarah whispering in Gwen's ear.

"Stinky-feet?"

"Never mind."

THREE

That evening, Gwen lay awake in her bed, her troubled mind racing. _My God… Victoria Grayson… a prisoner in Drogo prison. _Thethought of it made her tremble. She was surprised and disappointed in herself for not understanding how this news about her mother would affect Anna. She had left her best friend alone, knowing she was in trouble, and that decision had nearly come to Anna's ruin. Gwen angrily resolved never to let that happen again. She was going to spend every waking moment she could with Anna, making sure she stayed away from Swooper until that final race following the third task. Gwen moaned as she relived Anna crying on the plateau, but she felt her friend had seen the folly in what she was doing in going to Drogo and she went to sleep that night believing she had changed her mind.

Anna sat on her bed staring out the window and at the fog-filled alleyways of Spellsburg below her. Gwen and Sarah were right, of course. Drogo was sure to be well guarded by a number of fully qualified wizards from the Crimson ranks. Captain Dunning might be there himself on any given night. The entryway, doors, and windows would be locked and enchanted to keep the prisoners in and everybody else out. Even if she did manage to break in, how _would_ she find her mother? Anna realized how thankful she was to her friends for helping her see how difficult her task might be. In stopping her from rushing off, Gwen had forced Anna to go about the job of finding her mother in a much more calculating way. It would take everything she knew of herself and her abilities to get inside the prison and find the one person inside that was her mother.

And what would she find there if she was successful? Would her mother recognize her? _No… she wouldn't, of course._ _I was only a newborn infant when my mother was taken away. _Was Victoria even aware of her surroundings? Or was she, as Sarah had suggested, in a coma, dead and dying, gone but breathing still. Was she being kept in a well-lit hospital room, with white walls and windows overlooking the surrounding lake on sunny days? Anna frowned. Somehow, she didn't think so. She thought instead of a dark and molding room, with only a shell of the person that once was her mother sitting alone in a gloomy, rat-infested corner. Perhaps, if God was sympathetic, Victoria's mind would be vacant, an empty void of the realities around her, except for the distant memory of the light outside stabbing at her consciousness.

Anna closed her eyes and wept. It was the only way she could get to sleep since the Verosapt had told her about her mother. Although the great ape had warned her of the terrible consequences the truth might bring, she couldn't have imagined this kind of pain. Anna laid her head down and then turned to face the wall. The only thing helping to push the agony aside was her knowing she had to try; she had to know the truth about her mother's condition. No matter what the consequences, no matter what the danger, Anna was going to Drogo.

13


	38. The Forbidden Task

Chapter 38d33 – The Forbidden Task

Chapter 38

The Forbidden Task

ONE

As Gwen had predicted, the final days leading up to the third task were extremely busy for the students of Castlewood. Their final exams had finally started, and Anna and the rest of the first-years quickly found themselves struggling to keep up with the difficult pace.

Professors Nevork had them changing the color of their chairs to pink in transfiguration class, and everybody did fairly well except for TJ who, despite her best efforts, couldn't seem to make the change work. Surrendering to her failure, she fell pouting into her chair where it promptly began to gallop around the room, squealing furiously like a pig.

"Whaa-hoooo," screamed an excited TJ, whipping the sides of her bucking chair with her wand. "I'm gonna break this little piggy!" she yelled delightedly, until she was thrown to the floor with an enormous crash and the entire class burst into laugher. Getting to her feet, TJ dusted off her robes and looked up. "Now that there's an eight-five point ride if ever'n there was one."

Then it was off to Magical Incantations where Professor Titan asked each of them to demonstrate a number of spells and charms, including a few Anna believed would keep Tencha and Dowla on their guard for most of the summer holiday.

Next came Care of Magical Creatures, where the very harsh and surly Professor Motim did not give the expected practical exam. Instead, he tested them individually on their overall knowledge of the creatures they had studied throughout the year. Anna thought she did pretty well until Motim was overheard telling two other students he doubted if any of them could tell the difference between a Diricawl and a Bowtruckle. Anna made the rest of the class snicker in the hallway when she said the Diricawl, much like their instructor, was really just a dodo.

Professor Van Doorn, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, had them demonstrate a number of counter spells, as she went about trying to hex each of them in turn. Anna did remarkably well until Van Doorn hit her with a well-placed _Banishing Charm_, which sent her flying across two rows of desks to the floor.

"You should learn to keep your wand parallel to the floor, Guardian, if you intend to successfully deflect your opponent's curse," she hissed, helping a sprawled Anna back to her feet. "Promise me you will practice over the summer, and I'll give you full marks today." Rubbing her sore bottom and thinking about sharing another summer with Damon, Anna gladly agreed.

Their exams were finally completed the day before the third task of the Triward Tournament, and the relief felt throughout the castle was palpable in every Hall. All, that is, except for the Guardians. Their failure to find the fiftieth member of their union had reduced their efforts to standing in corridors and handing out leaflets. Eric called in nearly every favor owed him in an effort to get as many students to walk through the Mirror of Enlightenment as he could. In the end, all of their hard work seemed to payoff, and on the evening of June twenty-second, no less than sixty students agreed to pass through the mirror once more. But to everybody's shock and dismay, no Guardians were found.

Anna never saw Eric so tired. His obsessive pace and dedication to the Guardian cause in the days following his senior exams had left him completely exhausted, and it was then that Anna began to realize how futile it was to remain angry with her brother. Finding herself emotionally drained by the effort, she eventually decided Eric couldn't possibly have known about her mother being held in Drogo. Upon further reflection, the only people who she thought could have known were her father, perhaps a few ministry officials, and of course the Captain and his sister.

But while Anna's heart had softened toward Eric, her determination to go to Drogo had not. Her plan was surprisingly simple: she would fly Swooper over the mountains during the third Triwizard task when she knew everybody at the castle would be distracted inside the stadium. She would be missed after the tournament was over, of course, when she was expected to participate in the last Vollucross race afterwards. But, with any luck and by the time somebody realized she was absent, she would already be well out of reach. She would use Swooper's power of invisibility to get to the prison, and then her own abilities to pass through whatever magical barriers existed to get to the dungeons. From there, she would do whatever was necessary to find her mother.

Anna was awake most of the night before the third task, going over the plan several times in her mind. She could see herself flying low over the treetops, invisible as the Lethifold except as a blackened mist, and landing on the upper walls of Drogo. Step by step, she imagined the obstacles she might find there. What would she do if she passed through an enchanted door and ran into a guard on the other side? Could she pass through in a form that might conceal her? Would it be possible to travel through the doors as the Lethifold? No. She knew enough about the nature of these skills not to believe she could do them simultaneously; she was sure that wouldn't work. Maybe she could pass through just enough to see what was on the other side and then return if there was danger. She was worried. She wasn't experienced enough with her newfound abilities to understand their limitations, and now that she had something exceedingly important she needed to do, Anna was upset that she hadn't taken the time to completely explore them.

She finally saw herself standing in a dark corridor in the lowest dungeons, and imagined several locked rooms on either side. _How will I find the right door?_ She could pass through each one, but if a guard or another prisoner were to see her, there would be an alarm. At three o'clock in the morning, Anna was still visualizing herself trying to escape back to the upper floors of the prison to the sound of screaming sirens and bells blasting in her ears. She could still hear the guards yelling her name in hot pursuit when her mind was swept into an uneasy slumber.

The castle stairs Anna was ascending to escape from Drogo slowly melted away, and she found herself walking up a wooded path that looked wonderfully familiar. She was home again. The sun shown like beams from heaven through the trees, and the dense aroma of the forest around her was delightfully intoxicating. Anna recognized where she was the moment she reached the top of the hill. She breathed deep, her mind searching for the familiar smell of smoke and blackened wood.

She turned expectantly, looking for the burnt ruins of the Jennings estate, but what she found instead stunned her. A massive stone manor loomed high in the woods where there should have been only rubble. The anticipated pile of rock and debris to her right was gone, replaced by a beautiful north wing filled with windows of eight foot mullion glass. The naked and crumbling chimneys she had marveled at growing up were now encased inside towering walls of stone topped by a highly pitched roof of many angles. Anna couldn't believe her eyes; the Jennings estate was whole again, regal and majestic before her in the fading evening light.

She walked along its front to take in every inch of the beautiful facade. Ornate trim separated the upper floors from the shingled roof, which was covered with blue-gray slate. White colonnades framed the entranceway, directing her eye from the massive stone porch at the bottom to a center pane high at the top. The round window was filled with beautiful stained glass depicting an angel battling a dragon.

"Unbelievable," Anna whispered. "It's the most beautiful house I've ever seen."

A flash of orange light caught her eye in the colored window and she could see the two figures in the glass slowly beginning to move. The angel was grimacing as he swung his golden sword down upon the beast, slamming into its scaly back with a loud clang of yellow sparks. The dragon bellowed angrily and reared up to snap wildly at his foe. Its terrible-horned head was glowing with bright, fiery eyes. It opened its mouth wide and sent a stream of green fire at the angel.

"Oh my God."

Anna watched the angel shriek as its feathered wings and arms were burnt black. The great beast blew a ring of fire around the angel who was then completely engulfed in the killing flames; the screams were hideous. And then, to Anna's horror, the ugly-green fire within the glass began to spread outside its casings and onto the roof. It poured like lava down the front of the building, illuminating the facade in an eerie and luminescent glow. The window suddenly exploded outward, and Anna dropped to cover her head from the falling multi-colored shards. Bright green flames were pouring out of the window's frame, and an angry blaze could be seen filling the entire third floor behind it.

Panicking, Anna ran to the front door, which opened on its own before she reached the latch. She dashed through the opening and stopped to yell in the entranceway.

"Fire! There's a fire in the house upstairs. Is there anybody in here?"

She could hear a raging blaze howling like a storm somewhere in the floors above her. And then, to her horror, Anna heard a scream coming from the upstairs.

"Oh no!"

She ran up the winding staircase to the second floor landing. "Where are you?" She heard another scream coming from a room at the far end of the railing. "Fire — on the third floor! You have to get out!" Anna was running toward the room when she heard something that made her heart stop. It was a woman's laugh, a horrible and cackling howl that sent a spear of terror straight through her brain.

"_The Dark Lord is coming,"_ said the cold and hideous voice. And then Anna heard another voice, softer this time, mixed with panic.

"No… what are you doing? You can't do this!"

"_It is our Lord's wish that it be done,"_ screeched the voice again.

"No… not my mother's house, not my home!"

"_We will have a new home soon enough. It will be done!"_

Anna could now see clouds of smoke pouring out of the room and into the hallway where she stood. And then, a figure suddenly appeared in the doorway; the faintest outline of something with a torch in its hand. Anna gasped in horror as the thing looked up; two eyes were peering out at her through the graying haze. They were glowing red like the beast within the stained glass.

"_The Dark Lord is coming,"_ repeated the figure, barely visible except for its demon-like eyes burning through the thick curtain of smoke. _"He will rise more powerful and terrible than ever he was."_ The figure then raised the torch and touched it to the top of the door's frame.

"No – don't!" Anna yelled, but it was too late. The ceiling exploded in flame, and then quickly began to spread across the hallway toward her. Anna turned to run, but found her way blocked by a column of growing fire behind her. She was trapped.

Desperate to escape, Anna looked over the railing and to her horror she saw the entire floor below engulfed in fire, a lake of rising flame. There was more laughter, and Anna wheeled around and screamed. Two eyes, boiling like stoked coals, were fixed directly upon her through a wall of flame set between them. The mouth of the thing opened, revealing hideous fangs as it spoke.

"_The Dark Lord is coming,"_ screeched the voice just a few feet away, and Anna screamed again as the ceiling above them began to collapse. The fire was engulfing her body, burning her flesh to the bone. She watched in horror as her arms began twisting and wilting; the skin bubbled grotesquely and turned black. She screamed in excruciating pain, and then awoke to the fading echo of cackled laughter.

Anna sat up in her bed, breathing in rapid terror. Panicking, she looked quickly at her arms expecting the worst; they were smooth and untouched. She started to cry. She could still see the demon's eyes glowing red in the dark in front of her, the flames penetrating her skin and spreading through her bones. And the pain, _oh God… the terrible-suffering pain._

"It was that thing — that evil woman was the one who started the fire in the Jennings house," Anna mumbled through her growing sobs, "and that laugh — that horrible screeching voice. What was it the thing had said?"

"The Dark Lord is coming…" a voice answered her.

Anna's heart jumped as she turned in the direction of Sarah's bed; the voice had come from there.

"Voldemort… is coming," whispered the gruff and choppy voice once more. Anna could now see Sarah sitting upright in the dark and staring forward.

"The _Dark Mark_ will burn black, summoning his servants to their master. It will happen tomorrow night! The Dark Lord will rise again!" Anna felt a chill spreading across her back and up through her spine.

And then, very slowly, Sarah's head began to turn. She stopped to look at Anna. Her eyes were wide and vacant, blank-white eyes staring at her through the darkness.

"Tomorrow… you will find death… in the dungeons of Drogo…"

Anna gasped; her heart was pounding with fear. Sarah's head slowly turned to face forward again. She muttered something indistinguishable, and then repeated her warning, "… death in the dungeons… of… Drogo." She was still for a moment, and then crumbled in a heap into her blankets.

"Sarah?" Anna called, tentatively. Her roommate gave out a soft grunt and then rolled over to face the wall, her free hand searching unconsciously for her blankets. Anna slowly fell back and stared up at the ceiling; the cool air coming through her open window was licking at the phantom burns still tingling in her arms. _Was Sarah giving me a warning?_ _Should I still go to Drogo if death was waiting for me there?_ Did it mean she, Anna, would die if she attempted to break in, or was Sarah speaking of what she would find while looking for her mother? Would she find her mother dead?

Anna closed her eyes and found her mind groping for the image in her mother's portrait. She tried to imagine that person lying dead in a dungeon cell. Was she brave enough to face such a thing? She lay awake for the rest of the night wondering what to do.

TWO

By morning, Anna's inner struggles had ended. Despite the risks, and now the warnings of seeing death full in the face, her resolve remained unchanged. She was going to Drogo. She had imagined it so many times, it almost seemed as though she had already done the thing. She had created a picture of herself traveling with Swooper to one of the most feared and loathsome places in the wizarding world, and to decide not to go now would be like lying about how important it was to her. Still, now that Anna knew her mother was alive, one important thing seemed to trump every part of reason and caution left to her. She had to know the complete truth about her mother's condition. No matter how bad or dangerous it might be… she had to see her.

But something else was working to set Sarah's warning aside. Sarah had said Voldemort was going to rise again. _In_ _fact, she said he would rise this very night._ _But how could that possibly happen? Voldemort was dead. How could the most evil wizard in a century rise again after being dead for more than thirteen years?_ _That was impossible._ Sarah had to be wrong. Perhaps what Anna had witnessed last night wasn't Sarah, _the_ _Seer_, but just her roommate talking in her sleep. And if Sarah was wrong about Voldemort, she might be wrong about everything else she had said as well.

That morning, Sarah seemed completely unaware of her terrible predictions, and Anna didn't bother telling her or Gwen what she had said in the night. For doing so would have given away her plan to go to Drogo. She found herself reliving her dream over and over during the day, wondering if it carried any truth. But if Anna were to believe any part of it, it meant the woman who was with her mother in Eric's room had been with Victoria before the fire that brought them into her father's house. In fact, according to the dream, this woman purposely set fire to the Jennings estate as part of a plan to do just that; _but why?_ What power did this woman have over her mother that Victoria Grayson would allow this evil thing to destroy her ancestral home? Anna started to believe the dream couldn't have been based on anything meriting consideration. Because, if it did, it would mean the thing that originally brought Victoria and her father together had been a lie from the very start.

Anna spent the rest of the day with Sarah and Gwen, visiting the city shops and walking among the hundreds of tents that began popping up all over the plateau. Anna tried to act as normal as possible, though her thoughts never strayed far from her future task at hand. It was an effort sometimes to remain focused on the things her friends were discussing, including the local newspaper, which had written a series of articles building up to the Triwizard Tournament's final task. The stories included some very grisly details, describing how several of the past champions had been maimed and even killed.

"But they said the tournament is supposed to be safer this time," Sarah said, when she read the part about the tournament of 1430, which ended in a draw when all three champions were eaten by a deadly Chimaera.

"Yeah… that's what they said, all right, but then they served the champions up to a bunch of dragons, didn't they? Not to mention nearly drowning one of them in that lake during the second task," Gwen replied, still frowning at the paper. "If you call that safer, it's no wonder so many died in the early days. It says here, the champions will have to negotiate some kind of labyrinth tonight, which will contain a number of spells and creatures they'll have to face as they make their way to the center. The first champion to reach the middle of the maze will be the winner of the tournament.

"Hey — the paper also has the odds for tonight's vollucross race." Gwen's face immediately turned surly. "They still have Anna at long odds against Lannete Cobstone." She threw the newspaper aside. "I should think after you beat her the last time they would have given you more respect? Anna? Hey… are you all right?" Anna wasn't listening. Her mind wasn't on the race or the tournament, but her own forbidden task.

"Anna?" Gwen gave her friend a nudge. "Hey… 'Pilot to bombardier'…you back there somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh… sorry. Just… a little nervous about tonight, I guess."

"I was just saying they should have given you better odds to win, don't you think?"

"Well… the last race was pretty close… and Lannete is a proven winner. If I was going to bet, I'd put my gold on her."

Gwen looked appalled. "What's the matter with you? Where's that steely Grayson determination we're all counting on? I'm putting my entire purse on Diggory in the third task, and you to win the race afterwards."

"No… Gwen, please don't bet your gold on me. Don't do that."

Gwen was surprised. "What the heck is wrong with you? We all know you're going to win. You're just a little nervous, that's all. But once you get saddled up, there's nothing in this world that's gonna to keep you from your goal." Anna smiled; she couldn't help thinking just how right Gwen could be about something.

At three o'clock, the students and teachers headed for the stadium. Although the third task was scheduled to begin at dusk in England, the time difference in the Eastern United States would allow the citizens and visitors of Spellsburg to enjoy the tournament in the warm comfort of the late afternoon sun.

When they got inside the stadium gates, the girls parted. "See you," Anna said, trying to sound upbeat and hiding the knot of scrambled nerves tightening inside her stomach.

"Good luck," Sarah said, waving to her brightly.

"Yeah… knock'em dead, champ! I've already got another Guardian victory chocked up and counted," Gwen said confidently, allowing the mass of humanity to push them backwards toward the stands. Watching to make sure they didn't suspect anything, Anna spied on her friends until the crowd had completely swallowed them. She then turned and headed back to the stables.

When she entered Swooper's stall, the stallion was jittery and very nervous. The rumble of the crowd outside told all of the winged horses they would soon be flying again. Turning large circles in his stall, he began to beat his powerful wings furiously. When he saw Anna carrying his saddle, he raised up to kick out. For a magical creature born to fly, life was all about these precious moments. Anna reached out to him.

"Swooper, I need your help," she called out, enticing him back down on all fours again; she patted his neck. "I need you to take me over the northern mountains tonight, and I'm not going to lie to you: What I'm asking you to do is going to be very dangerous — for both of us."

The thorse looked curiously at her, his large blue eyes bright and alert. Anna heaved his saddle onto his back behind his wing joints. As she worked the buckles and straps, she continued to explain her ambitions, trying to the best of her ability to sound determined.

"I recently found out my mother is being held at Drogo prison," she said, feeling the words scraping up her throat like they were covered in thorns. "I have to go there and find her, but I can't do it without your help." She tightening his cinch straps and then walked around to look at him again. "Will you take me there?" The great horse stared at her appraisingly. "Please… I know I don't have the right to put you in this kind of danger… but this might be my only chance to find out the truth about her condition. Will you… will you please help me?"

At once, Anna could feel an overwhelming sense of determination blossom from the deepest part of Swooper's soul. The feeling engulfed Anna's heart and immediately moved her to tears. She reached out and hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"Anna…? Why aren't you upstairs in the stadium with the others?" It was Mr. Kingston, the stable master. It was the first time Anna had ever seen him without his leather apron.

"Oh… hello, Jeremiah. I was just getting Swooper ready for the race," Anna replied, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you… all right?"

"Uh-huh…" she said, trying not to look at the man. "I don't think I'm going to watch the tournament, Jeremiah. I'm… I guess I'm just a little nervous about tonight."

He smiled. "I don't know why _you_ would be nervous. I should think your competitors would be nervous if they knew the winner of the last race was preparing her mount so early." He walked over to her and placed a bracing hand on Anna's shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Oh-yeah, I'm fine," she said, pulling Swooper's bridle out of her bag.

He stared at her appraisingly. "The Triwizard Tournament is probably a once in a lifetime event. You shouldn't allow yourself to miss it."

Anna straightened to think. "You know… you're right… I'll be along in a few minutes. I just want some time alone with Swooper."

He stared intently at her again. "All right; I'll leave you to it, then. Good luck… and be careful out there, okay?"

"I'll do what I can," she sighed.

As the stable master turned to walk away, Anna called to him. "Jeremiah?"

The man quickly spooled. "Yes…?"

"If something does happen to me tonight, I just wanted to say…" she paused, realizing she almost started to say _goodbye_. "Thank you… for everything you've done for me this year."

He frowned. "Of course… but nothing's going to happen…"

"I mean it, Jeremiah, I couldn't do…" her words stumbled, "…what I'm going to do tonight if it hadn't been for you and Pearl. You're like… a part of my family." She looked away from him, trying to control her emotions. "I… just wanted…well… I just thought you should know how much you mean to me. That's all."

The stable master gave a small kick at the dirt beneath his foot, and then imparted a bashful shrug. He looked up and then nodded.

"You know… it's been a real joy watching you this year, a delight for these old eyes to see." He smiled at her. "If you give it your best tonight… if you show the kind of courage I've already seen in you long before this day, it would make me proud to know I've had a small hand in your success." Anna smiled back, thinking only of her mother.

Mr. Kingston gave her a wink, turned and opened the gate. He glanced quickly back to watch Anna slipping the bridle over Swooper's head, and for the briefest moment he had the strange feeling again that something was terribly wrong. Setting his doubts aside, he seated the bolt and headed for the stadium outside. Several hours later, Jeremiah Kingston would wonder why he didn't act on his fears and suspicions.

THREE

Anna was careful to tell Gwen and Sarah she would be sitting with Eric over the stables during the third task, and she told Eric she would be sitting with Gwen. She didn't like lying to them, but it was the only way she could insure a good head start before being missed. A few minutes later, Anna could hear Professor Bots' voice booming over the crowd inside the stadium.

"Ladies and gentlemen: Welcome back to Spellsburg, and welcome to the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament." There was a roar from the stadium crowd, and many of the winged horses in the adjoining stables whinnied loudly in reply.

"Come on, Swooper. It's time to go." They walked together out the side door leading to the gap in the stadium. As they entered the breach, Anna looked right. The entranceway to the stadium was finally clear of people, and Anna could see the wonderful green lawns extending all the way to the other side. To her left awaited the open forest.

"Good luck, Guardian," yelled one of the spectators looking down over the railing, and several others in the crowd noticed and started to wave at her. Anna forced a false smile, gave an obligatory wave, and led Swooper around the corner. Outside the stadium wall, she quickly mounted and turned to look one last time inside the gap.

She heard Professor Bots' magnified voice bellow the incantation, "_Projectius Visum Hogwarts!"_ and the stadium grounds suddenly went dark.

Anna turned toward the forest. "God forgive me… for what I'm about to do."

She nudged Swooper in the sides and the great horse suddenly bolted forward. Gaining speed until he was at a full gallop, Swooper began to unfurl his massive wings. They lifted off the ground with ease, and with one mighty stroke they soared easily over the rim of the Shadowed Forest. They were finally off, and Anna couldn't help thinking her fate was finally set. After tonight, she knew her life would never be the same again.

As they climbed higher into the evening sun, Anna turned to look back only once. Vollucross stadium looked like a massive pot with a blackened lid placed upon its crown. A purple glow radiated from its doors and gaps below, and for the first time that day Anna smiled.

_Sunset at Hogwarts: Good luck, Harry Potter. _

"Let's go higher," Anna said, patting Swooper on the neck, and she could feel the steed's powerful wings rotating in their sockets as they angled back and lifted forward. Soon they were at a thousand feet, two thousand feet, three thousand, and the rocky tops of the Pennsylvania Mountains were passing beneath them. Once they cleared the first ridge, Anna pushed down on the reins and breathed a sigh of relief.

_No fear of being seen from the city or the castle now, _she thought, asSwooper glided down to within a hundred feet of the trees before angling back again. Anna wanted to hide their approach to the prison for as long as she possibly could. She guided Swooper through a number of low alleyways, trying to keep her northern bearing as they lifted over the second of what she knew would be three sets of mountaintops.

"Swooper… I need you to go invisible now — and stay that way until I know we're safe again." She patted her steed once more, and then watched as his form began to ripple and distort in the warm glow of the evening sun to their backs. Soon, only the faint outline remained of her mount, and she could barely see his head moving up and down in unison with his hoof beats. Eventually, that too had disappeared entirely.

"Good boy," Anna cooed softly, patting the place where his neck should have been.

They started to rise toward the final ridge and Anna knew Drogo would soon fall into view on the other side. So far, everything was going according to plan.

"Swooper, I'm going to change into my other form now, just like we practiced, all right?" She felt the thorse give a nervous jerk at the reins. "You will see the black castle coming into view in the middle of a lake on the other side. If we can get close enough, I'd like to try circling the castle a few times and then continue north to the other side of the lake. We'll land on the far shore and hide ourselves in the forest if we can." She could hear Swooper grunt.

"Okay… here I go…"

Anna concentrated hard on the iciness trying to smother her heart ever since her fight with Debbie Dunning the week before. When her thoughts touched the moment when Debbie told her about her mother, a spark of deadly cold blazed to life deep within her chest. To Anna's surprise, it came much quicker this time: In fact, it almost leapt forth. For some strange reason she didn't quite understand, it was getting easier to bring the creature forward.

And all at once, it was back; the starving hunger, the coldness… and now something different, a surprising sense of shock and fear. The creature was immediately terrified. The Lethifold was frightened of the light and of finding itself so high off the ground; it was searching desperately for a place to hide itself, and it took all of Anna's will to control the creature's fear. She could feel Swooper shiver from her cold touch as he looked back in alarm at the thing creeping over his shoulder and then to his unprotected belly.

For his part, Swooper was at a level of panic far beyond what his nature would normally allow, and his infallible instinct to get away from the creature attaching itself to his chest was enormous. If not for the experiences shared with Anna during their practice runs earlier that week, the thorse would have used the treetops to try and scrape the thing away from his body.

Swooper finally cleared the last row of mountaintops and they were met with a strong, spiraling headwind. And there, the most incredible sight loomed out of the distance to meet them. Just as Anna had remembered it, Drogo Prison stood like a mountain above an ocean of water. A giant island of blackened stone and rock, the prison was engulfed in a rippling miasma of blue light. Even from their distance away, the enormous structure looked menacing, evil and foreboding.

As her mount banked through the last valley approaching the castle's lake, Anna could see there were no bridges, nothing visible that would allow someone to approach or escape the fortress unseen. They finally crossed over the water's edge and raced across the surface of the lake: The castle looked ominous in the gloom of the mountains surrounding it.

FOUR

Two Crimson Guards stood on the top of Drogo's ramparts looking out over the glassy lake three hundred and seventy feet below them.

"Finally… fresh air!" said one of the guards, breathing deep of the warm and fragrant breezes surrounding them. Although fairly young, the man felt his time in the lower floors of Drogo had aged him faster than nature had intended.

"How long you been below?" asked the other guard.

"Too long… almost a month."

"Yeah… that's tough duty. I cycled out of there a few weeks ago — once some of you new-bees started to transfer in." The guard sighed and shook his head. "So… what trick did you use?"

"Trick? What do you mean?"

The older man smiled as he looked out toward the setting sun. "Kid… we all have our tricks for keeping our sanity down there. I imagine myself playing chess with my son." He smiled and looked warily around them. "If Captain Dunning knew my mind wasn't in this place one hundred percent of the time, all the time, he'd send my scalp to my wife and the rest of my body down to the Kappas," he said, motioning over the side of the wall.

The other guard smiled meaningfully. "Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. I imagine myself walking back and forth between my parent's front door and the picket gate to the street." He laughed as he looked around to insure nobody could hear them and whispered, "I even check to make sure the door and the gate are locked."

"Now that's good. I'll have to remember that one next week when I'm down on the third floor with the screamers."

The young man looked out toward the dipping sun. "It's horrible down there… the worst possible place on earth. Given the chance, half the prisoners would murder you in an instant … and the other half are…" he paused, shaking his head.

"Nuts?"

The kid looked up and grinned, "A squirrel's winter hoard."

"Yeah… the poor devils."

"What…? Are you kidding me? Most of them would try and cut your throat if you handed them a paper knife."

The older man turned serious. "Listen… you've got to find yourself some perspective kid, or you won't last long enough to see your next transfer. Just keep one important thing in mind." The man looked down over the edge and the dizzying drop below them. "This place… it ain't part of the real world."

"Real world? What's that supposed to mean?"

The man looked at the younger guard and sighed again. "The real world: You know… the life we all have on the other side of those mountains," he motioned longingly, pointing toward the gilded glow of the southern mountaintops before them. "You have to believe this place is in no way attached to the people and places _we_ love. If you can somehow remember and know that fact… you just might last long enough to get out of here in one piece."

Anna and Swooper crossed the lake and turned to circle the base of the castle; their merged forms looked like smoke sliding across the surface of the water. Anna was concentrating hard to remain aware of who she was, while simultaneously taking in every detail of the walls below them, the iron-bolted doors and the arched windows filled with brick. It was more than a fortress, the prison looked like a mountain of solid rock; a hideous heap of blackened stone glowing amidst its charms and enchantments, impenetrable and forbidden.

Swooper completed his first pass and then rose to the third and fourth levels to circle again. They made two more passes before gliding silently several times over the top. Crimson-cloaked guards could be seen walking among the castle's ramparts and mullions: every door was manned; every entrance appeared to be blocked.

The Lethifold shifted, and Swooper headed to the opposite end of the lake. Miraculously, they had successfully surveyed the entire castle undetected. Three minutes later, Swooper landed at the forest's edge and moved quickly into the trees. Anna could feel his heavy panting; she could taste the sweat pouring from his body. The Lethifold was starving.

_No…I will remain in control._

She fought to remember Professor McGonagall and the words of encouragement she had offered to steady her mind. The Lethifold slid down the horse's legs to the ground and then disappeared into the darkest part of the woods — _safe at last_. A few moments later, Anna emerged from the forest and approached Swooper. He had become visible again and was quietly munching the grass, moist from the shadowed dew beneath his feet. They took strength in seeing each other once again as she hugged him.

"We made it, boy," she said, peering cautiously through the trees at the prison across the lake. The deep-azure haze of the Fidelius Charm had lessened against the glow of the afternoon sun. She looked back at Swooper again.

"Listen… from here I'm going on alone and I want you to stay out of sight until I return. Do you understand? Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near that place. If I don't return by morning, I want you to make yourself invisible again and head for home." The great horse swung around quickly to gaze at her, his concern obvious.

She tried to sound optimistic. "Don't worry about me; I'll be back long before morning. But, if I don't make it back, or if you sense anything dangerous in these woods, get yourself away from this place as fast as possible." Swooper jerked his head agreeably with a snort and then returned to his grass. Anna looked over at Drogo again.

"I'm going to wait just a little longer for those shadows from the castle to reach us here. And then…" She patiently watched the darkness stretching toward her. They looked like the long fingers of death beckoning, almost daring her to come closer.

A few minutes later, the Lethifold was gliding slowly across the top of the water, following the shadowed pathways toward the island of black stone. The sun's horrible rays were eclipsed by the castle's silhouette in front of her, and as she moved along the words she heard from her father's vault fell into her mind again: _Another island, absent but by the morning's tide, may hold your answers. _Even in her present form, the irony of these words did not escape her. An island of answers… loomed before her.

When it reached the other side, the Lethifold stretched out and carefully probed the stone. It reached deep within the cracks and fissures of the castle's foundation and the blue haze surrounding it immediately disappeared. Suddenly, an unexpected voice spoke to her.

_Welcome Guardian._

Several voices began reaching out to her, touching her mind. Excited and wanting, the castle was alive and animated to her presence.

_The protector is here! Sithmaith! The Guardian is among us! _

Anna's head exploded with dozens of voices calling out, reaching in to touch her unexpected form. The Lethifold found a small crack in the stone and passed several feet inside the wall before hitting a dead end. It was cool and dark, and contained her fully. She listened to the voices probing her mind, an excited throng of diverse languages and tones. Anna tried to reach out to them like an ambassador landing upon some foreign shore.

_My friends, I come with a purpose; I am here to find somebody important to me_, she thought, spreading herself out to make as much contact with the stone around her as she could. The multitude suddenly fell silent. And then, one voice sounded in sharp reply for the sake of all the others.

_There are many dangers in this place… Sithmaith. The protector should NOT be here. _

Anna tried to focus her mind, but the creature she had become made it very difficult. The instincts of the Lethifold wanted to stop trying to converse; these words of the mind were not a part of its desperate nature; only the starving hunger needed her rigorous attention right now. Anna wanted to change back, to set aside the creature's murderous instincts and fears. It would be far easier to communicate with the voices of magic without the struggle to fight down these urges to stalk for prey. But when her mind went too far in anticipation of its own flesh, she could feel an enormous pressure as her body tried to expand within the crack where she lay. Panicking, Anna refocused her concentration back to the coldness within the stone. She had to remain what she was, where she was, until the proper moment. She reached out to the voices once more.

_Can you help me find the person I'm looking for?_

The voices began to speak in a clatter of ringing personalities. They were arguing loudly with each other, and if Anna's form included hands, she would have used them to cover her ears. They were overwhelming her ability to think.

_Please…_ Anna's mind raged. _STOP!_ The voices immediately ceased.

_There are many dangers here, Sithmaith. You must return from which you came._

_Please! I think my mother is here — somewhere in this place. I have to find her._

_No…_ another voice screamed. _There are terrible things within. The protector must not enter!_

_I must — I will. I have to find my mother. I'm looking for Victoria Grayson. Do you know where she is?_

Again, the voices raged among themselves, arguing in locked debate. Anna found it difficult to concentrate as their clatter began to fade in and out of her mind. The pain was increasing again as her form tried to expand within the crack once more. She couldn't stay here much longer, but the voices battled on. Finally, one spoke for the rest.

_What you seek is treachery personified, little one. The one you search for… is evil._

If Anna's body had been standing, it would have recoiled in shock.

_Evil? Are you saying… that my mother is dangerous?_

_Most foul._

_Where is she? Can you lead me to her?_

_Beware… it is…_

_Can you show me the way? _

There was a long pause before another voice set deep in her mind came forth.

_God did not bring the protector into this world to see you destroyed so easily, little one. Does this quest serve that which brought you into existence?_

_Please… I can't go on with my life wondering what happened to my mother. I need to find her; I want to know how she's surviving. But I can't do it without your help. Please… I'm begging you… help me._ Anna's mind was loosing its ability to concentrate on her form again. She could feel the expanding pain; the place in which she was hiding felt like it was squeezing in on her.

At last, there came a reply. _Very well. We will show you the way_.

Relieved, Anna's pain abated once more.

_Thank you… where…?_

_You must find a way inside these walls, and then down to the lowest levels within._

_Down to the dungeons?_ Anna asked, knowing the answer and repeating the information given to her by the Verosapt.

_We will direct your path, once inside. _

The Lethifold began to creep unwillingly toward the light, following the crack to the outside. Anna was struggling to move the creature along; it was like dragging a bear by the scruff of the neck.

_But know this, Sithmaith. Untold dangers are hidden within the walls you look to breach. The way will be most perilous. At your journey's end, the thing you seek has the power to destroy you utterly. Thus, we pass to you our strongest warning… the magic that guides you onward cannot come to your aid but by the link we now share. Once inside, we will be limited by the spells and enchantments that define our existence here, and will work to block your path in the manner intended against any intruder. _

_You would work against me?_

_We will assist you where and when we can as we guide your way, but the spells that define our presence here cannot be set aside._

Anna was barely listening. She was tired of all the warnings and the voices doing what they could to send her back. She crept up the walls of the castle, staying in the shadows where it was possible, and checking every gap and crevice for a way inside, but every window was barred and protected by spells she could not penetrate in her present form.

_I need an entrance,_ she called out with her mind, _an unguarded door or window._

_There are several doors on the roof, Guardian,_ answered another voice.

The Lethifold continued up the wall, falling quickly into the corners as it moved along. When it finally reached the castle's battlements, she crept between its merlons to the stone platform on the other side. Two guards were standing on the wall talking to each other with their backs turned, and the creature slid into one of the castle's murder holes to hide.

_There are methods of entry to the east,_ whispered a voice to her.

_Yes… I remember_, Anna replied, recalling her flyby on Swooper earlier.

With a friendly nod, the guards finally parted and moved down the stone curtain toward the pointed towers. Anna followed one of the guards along the eastern wall, staying near the floor and invisible in the shadows. She froze when the guard stopped to rattle the iron latch on the door standing there. He turned again, and then slowly walked by the Lethifold lurking by his feet. Anna hovered toward the door and slid easily under its bottom edge. She found a winding staircase lined with sputtering torches, which fell into what looked like a dark and bottomless pit. The Lethifold's senses suddenly erupted forth.

_FOOD_.

It eagerly skulked around the walls nearest the stone steps. There was food here, hidden in the darkest places.

_You must follow these steps into the depths, Sithmaith,_ said the voices, returning to her mind. _They will lead you to a place of chains and screams. Set aside the nature of the creature you've become, little one. You must keep your wits while in this place._

The creature was barely listening. The smell of prey was everywhere, and Anna was having trouble concentrating on the task at hand. She wanted to abandon this worthless quest, and seek the things that would relieve her starving hunger. The Lethifold loved this dark place, the smell of food was all around her; it could sense the two guards coming toward it before their voices were heard echoing up the staircase.

_Danger approaches…_ warned one of the magical voices, and Anna halted. Footsteps could now be heard tapping their way up from the pit below, and the Lethifold instinctively spread itself wide along the steps to set its trap.

_No… I mustn't. I must remember who I am… _Anna thought, forcing the creature to obey her will and settle back into another corner to hide.

"So when's visiting day again?" asked one of the guards coming up the stairs.

"Not for another month, I'm afraid," replied the man behind him.

"Dear Lord… I don't know if I can wait that long to see somebody normal again. You think the Captain will give us another day to go into town?"

"I doubt it. You know he wants double-guards on duty whenever something special is happening in Spellsburg, and the Triwizard Tournament has brought thousands to the plateau. I'm glad that'll be over tonight. These fifteen hour shifts are getting old."

"Tell me about it. I had to pull double-duty last night. I haven't seen my bunk for thirty-two hours"

"Why's that?"

"Oh… one of the prisoners on five attacked Robinson during the evening meal last night, broke his arm in the pass-through."

"The fool: If I've told that boy once I've told him a hundred times, make the prisoners reach out for the food — not the other way around."

"I know… but try and tell… I think the boy… but…. his father is an assistant to the… Ministry…"

Their voices faded as they continued up the steps, and the Lethifold poured out of its corner to continue down the staircase behind them.

When the creature got to the bottom, it found two locked doors on either side of a round room.

_Which way?_ Anna called to the voices.

_The door to your left is unguarded; it leads to the guard's sleeping quarters. Right… leads to misery. The barrier is enchanted by a very powerful spell._

Anna concentrated hard and soon the Lethifold had transformed into its human form once again. Although the starving hunger had left her, the fear of being caught increased enormously as Anna placed a hand upon the door.

"Are there guards on the other side?"

_Several_.

"Are they just on the other side of the door? Would somebody see me if I passed through?" she asked in a whisper. Suddenly, a different voice answered back. To Anna, it sounded small, childlike and frail.

_The door is hidden in the shadows and the guards are on the far side of the hallway. I will tell you when you can pass, Sithmaith. _

Anna pressed her ear to the door. She couldn't hear anything.

_Now, Guardian… now!_

Anna closed her eyes and concentrated on the magic she could feel pulsating within the wood; she took a deep breath and stepped into the door. At once, she thought something must have gone wrong. The exploding pain in her body was so intense, she immediately tried to stop and back out again, but the magic surrounding her body seemed to grab her by the hair and wrench her forward. If the fear of being caught hadn't been so intense she would have screamed in agony. Daggers, sharp from the wheel, sliced into her flesh and bone to score her soul, and Anna felt her mouth open in a shriek of muted terror as she passed through and fell to the floor on the other side. Her body, wet with sweat, jerked and shuddered in pain. Traversing the magic hidden within the door had been horrendous.

Suddenly, Anna's head jerked up in alarm; there were dozens of voices all around her now. Thunderous waves of hideous screams and laughter, mixed with those pleading and crying. Anna scrambled back in terror into the shadows behind her.

_What is this place?_

"I'm starving!" yelled a man's voice to one of the guards who was standing in the alleyway between a series of cells. A hand was reaching out between the steel bars.

"You've been fed and watered, Mario. Fall back," the guard returned angrily.

"But he took my bowl!"

"And what's the matter with you, Perkins?"

Another man was sobbing. "I want to go home. Please…" _sob,_ "I'd like to go home now?"

"Oh… sure… by all means…" replied a second guard contemptuously. "In about twenty-five years."

"Please… I promise… I'll be good from now on. I promise…"

"Didn't you say that the first time you were caught kidnapping Muggle children? That last scam at the Muggle orphanage was really sick."

"But they needed homes and somebody to love them… please…"

You were turning them into guinea pigs and selling them as pets!"

"When I get out of here, Fletcher, I'm going to kill your entire family right in front of you, and then… I'm going to skin you alive," said a burly prisoner reaching out with both hands as if to strangle another guard.

"I keep telling you, sir," the younger guard replied, exasperatedly. "I'm not Fletcher. You already killed Fletcher and his family ten years ago. Don't you remember?"

Anna was surprised to find there were no wounds on her body, as she tried with all her strength to block out the arguing voices and change again. Soon the Lethifold was on the move once more. It crept up the wall to the ceiling and then down the long corridor of cells and the guards standing between them. Suddenly, a voice started screaming below her.

"Lethifold! Oh God… it's a Lethifold, a Lethifold!" A prisoner was pointing at Anna hovering near one of the lights and she froze flat to the stone. "Kill it! Kill it before it destroys us all," screamed the man, scrambling into the furthermost corner of his cell.

"Will you — shut up!" yelled one of the guards at the man who then turned to another. "Poor bloke sees deadly magical creatures everywhere."

Anna continued across the ceiling while the prisoner in the cell stared up at her, peeking out from between his trembling fingers that concealed his face. "Lethifold… oh God… kill it… kill it," he whispered.

Anna proceeded through a barred door on the other side to another set of steps leading downward again. She listened to the voices within the walls as she sank deeper into the bowels of the prison. The Lethifold could smell the sent of prey in the air, there was more, much more, down these dark steps.

She came upon a set of double doors and stopped. Weakened by the painful memory of the last door she had traversed, the creature's courage failed completely and it turned to leave.

_Through the doors, Guardian; there are no guards in the chamber ahead, no enchantments blocking your path; the way beyond is clear. _

The Lethifold fell to the floor and doubled over to change itself back into Anna once again. She was surprised at how easy her ability to change had become. The pain of passing through the last enchanted door had obviously lessened the creature's motivation to fight against her will. She stood and slowly pushed open the double doors, cautiously peeking through their middle as she stepped forward. They swung inward with an eerie groan as Anna moved inside and let the doors fall away behind her.

Two rows of beds lined the walls to her left and right, and Anna could see a person sleeping quietly on each bed. The bodies were draped in starched white linens that adhered almost lovingly to their forms. Several glowing orbs were floating randomly in the air around Anna, dimly painting what looked like a hospital ward in the palest of blue light. Anna ducked as one of the orbs quickly moved to settle over her head and it followed her as she moved down the line of beds.

Each patient was positioned exactly the same on his or her mattress, their feet perfectly aligned one with the other next to it. Was her mother one of these patients? Anna quickly began to scan the faces of each of the bed's occupants, looking for a woman. _No — a woman with red hair._ _That's a man. That one's too old_. Left and right, Anna examined each of them carefully, looking for somebody who might fit what she expected.

Finally, she noticed a chart hanging on one of the footboards of a woman who was stirring slightly in her bed. The woman's lips were moving as if in prayer, while her eyes stared unblinking up at the ceiling. As she moved, the sheet encasing the woman's body seemed to grip her tighter in response; the covers looked alive and determined to limit her movements. Anna cautiously lifted the chart off its wooden hook and squinted to read the words written upon the yellowed parchment. A dull, red-X was faded into the page's background like a watermark, and the orb above Anna's head immediately lowered over her shoulder so she could read the chart properly. It bathed the words:

Klara Bathory – DOB: Aug 9, 1959

POB: The village of Cachtice, Hungry.

Last Res: Lundo, Mississippi, USA

Family – Confidential

Injuries: Auror Damage

Current Patient Status: RED-X –– EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

Anna felt her body shudder when she read the words, Crime: Muggle bleedings and torture. She looked up at the woman and gasped. Klara Bathory's eyes were staring down at Anna above an insane smile. The woman then lifted her head off her pillow and tilted it to one side as if to examine her. Anna dropped the chart she was holding and stepped back, bumping into the footboard of the bed behind her, and several voices began to groan around her in response. The woman's smile was grotesque, her cracked and yellow teeth littered with decay, her eyes wide and blazing with excitement. Anna looked down at the chart lying at her feet; she could see the words EXTREMELY DANGEROUS underlined in the orb's faint light.

The woman's head tilted to the other side as she spoke. "Are you… a Muggle, dear?" she asked, hopefully. Anna's stomach lurched as a spasm of molten lead seemed to rise up and into her throat.

"No…I'm… I'm not," Anna replied, trying to sound reassuring, and she watched as the woman's face fell painfully into disappointment. She slowly lowered her head back down on her pillow to stare up at the ceiling again.

"Such a shame," the woman muttered, sadly. Trembling, Anna picked up the chart and quickly placed it back on its hook. She then continued down the aisle.

Afraid to find another set of eyes staring back at her, Anna avoided looking at the shadowed faces of those lying in the beds and concentrated on the names written upon the charts by their feet. A second orb led the way by her knees, lighting the squeaking footboards as she walked down the aisle.

And then Anna noticed a chart with a faded green circle on its background and the name _Victoria_ written at the top. She stopped and looked up at the woman in the bed. Her face was covered with the linen. Anna grabbed the chart and looked closer at the name:

Victoria Ladderby – DOB: Sept 22, 1972

POB: Cockysville, Maryland, USA

Last Res: Fairbanks, AK.

Family – Norman and Jenny Ladderby (parents), Cockysville, MD

Injuries: Mental Spell Damage (Self Inflicted).

Current Patient Status: GREEN - Harmless.

Crime: Illegal potion testing in an attempt to increase her beauty.

Anna sadly returned the chart to its hook. It wasn't her mother. She could see another door at the end of the aisle in front of her, and she increased her pace toward it, glancing only sparingly at each of the names as she walked by each of them. One of the last beds was sitting inside a steel cell with leather straps cinched down around the occupant's ankles and wrists. She glanced at the chart painted with a red-X, and could see the words _self-mutilation_ written upon it. Anna slammed into the door at the end of the hall, desperately working the latch to escape; it was locked. She flipped around and pressed the blades of her shoulders into the door and slowly opened her eyes. The beds stretched out before her, back to the double doors from which she had entered. Her knees weakened and she slowly sank down and covered her face with her hands. For the first time since she had found out her mother was alive, Anna was sure she could not go on. _How will I ever find her in this horrible place?_

_You must pass through the enchanted door, Sithmaith. _

Anna jerked up and looked around the room. The voices had returned to her.

_You must travel down the steps on the other side._

"I don't know… if… I can go on," Anna replied, in a scared and weeping voice. She turned where she sat and placed a single hand on the door's splintered wood behind her. She could feel the magic's energy pulsating from within and she whimpered again. She knew this barrier was much more powerful than the last.

"What will I see when I finally reach her?"

The voices were quiet for what seemed like an eternity, and then a scared, child-like whisper replied, _Evil… most foul. _

And then another voice sounded, this time from the door itself. _Go back, Sithmaith. Leave this place; for the spells beyond this door are much stronger and more terrible than those behind you._

Anna began to sob. She had dreamed about seeing her mother for so many years. They were dreams of laughter, and the two of them at play in a place far away from all of this horror and suffering, where the warm sun and green grass never ended. But now she knew those dreams were gone forever, soon to be replaced by the nightmares created by this hell she had willingly chosen to enter. She wiped her face and stood; she reached out again to place both palms on the door. She had to go on. She knew whatever she found in the pit of this place couldn't be as bad as her future nightmares run amuck. She closed her eyes and reached out to the magic waiting for her within the door; the two linked, and Anna stepped forward.

Once again, she could feel sharp, red-hot knives stabbing into her body. She could sense the Lethifold, hiding deep within her center, almost shriek in terror and then shrink further to retreat. The voice's warnings were true; the power of this spell was much stronger than the first. Instead of pulling her forward, it resisted her and tried to beat her back. The wood of the door felt as though it was ten feet thick, and each step forward was met with increasing and agonizing torture. A gauntlet of slashing blades ripped at her face, her back and ankles before she fell through to the other side. Hitting the stone floor first with her knees, she crumbled in a heap onto the floor, and lay there panting and shuddering from the lingering pain coursing her body. How could she ever hope to escape from this place? After a few minutes, Anna rose to take inventory of her legs and arms. She expected to see open, bloody wounds, but found none.

She continued on, floor after floor, horror after horror, insanity and malice screaming and reaching through the bars everywhere. The prisoners banged their bodies into hardened doors, crying for mercy and the blood of revenge, but received none. A man claiming to be a dragon saw Anna walking past his door through a spy hole and he tried to summon the guards. Anna barely escaped; changing into the Lethifold again as three guards ran passed her in the hallway. They entered the man's cell to subdue him.

"Let me go!" yelled the man, pushing two of the guards out of his way and entering the hall outside his padded cell. "I'm going to eat that little redhead I saw walking by my room," he laughed, running down the aisle. The third guard pulled out his wand and ruthlessly stunned the man square in the back, and then dragged the prisoner by an ankle back to his cell.

Anna had to pass through two other heavily enchanted doors, and evade several more guards before finally coming to the end of the staircase, which sat upon a dirt foundation. She had arrived at what could only be described as the pit of misery itself. The stench of the place was horrible, a foul mixture of excrement, mold, and something more – something burning. The smoky, acrid smell was oddly sickening to her, and suddenly frightfully familiar.

An immense, bronze door, aged black by time itself, stood in her path. A nightmarish sculpture hollowed out of its center portrayed a man grasping the sides of his head in agony; his empty eyes were staring up and his mouth was wide in a frozen scream. Anna could hear the faint rumble of something coming from the other side of the door. Summoning what was left of her courage, she placed a guarded hand upon the surface of the black door and listened for the voices again. She only heard two words.

_Not real._

Immediately, the head in the center of the door began to scream, and Anna leapt back in shock. The face was twisting and writhed, pulling at his face and hair as if something unseen was attacking him from inside his mind. And then, to Anna's surprise, the face began to change. It shook and distorted, its ears becoming longer and bat-like as his head started to shrink. The screams began to change as well, becoming higher and more boyish. His arms unexpectedly snapped straight over his head, pulling his body taut. Finally, he lay quiet and motionless, his head lulled down upon his chest. The figure slowly raised and Anna gasped in horror at the face looking back at her. It was Widwick, the Grayson house elf. His mouth opened, and spittle mixed with blood drooled from his shaking lips.

"Mercy mum… please… have… mercy," the elf sobbed, pitifully.

"Widwick?" Anna whispered in disbelief. Suddenly, there was a loud CRACK from the other side of the door and the elf's head snapped back in agony. He screamed.

"Widwick!" Anna yelled, running forward to help her friend.

CRACK

The elf screamed again and was suddenly yanked backward, disappearing into the metal of the door.

"Widwick!" Anna pounded on the barrier and then looked down for a handle. There wasn't one.

CRACK

"Pain," said a growling voice from the other side of the door.

CRACK

"Pain!"

"It can't be…" Anna whimpered stepping back, remembering her nightmare the night she attacked Damon. "It was just a dream… this… this isn't real."

CRACK, another agonizing scream, and then a knife of pain shot between Anna's shoulder blades. She collapsed to the dirt floor.

"NO! This isn't real. Dreams can't really happen. Widwick is home… he's safe. This is a trick!" She looked up, and to her surprise the metal door had now changed. A planked wooden door with iron straps appeared where the other had once stood, and Anna could see the flickering signs of a fire billowing from under its bottom edge.

"No…" she whispered, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.

The glow of the fire beneath the door bloomed red, and she could hear Widwick screaming in the next room. The heat of the air around her was suffocating and thick with smoke; the stones around her were sweating through the rippling and distorted light. She could see all of her belongings from her bedroom appearing in front of her eyes, and doors of window glass rippled into view overlooking what would be a midnight ocean on the other side. Her dressing table emerged from out of the wall next to the planked door; the scissors she had used in the dream to pry the lock were suddenly there.

"No," Anna closed her eyes and covered her ears, trying to block out the horrible screams.

"No, please… no…" pleaded Widwick's voice again. A horrible-sizzling sound pierced Anna's skull, and her feet exploded in burning pain. Her own screams fell in chorus with Widwick's shrieks from the next room. Suddenly, the pain stopped and Anna didn't hesitate. She leapt to her feet and slammed her shoulder into the door again.

"Stop it, Damon! Leave him alone!" She raised a foot and stomped the door below the latch now appearing in front of her.

_Not real, Sithmaith. Concentrate!_

Anna looked at the scissors sitting on the dressing table and moved to grab them, but the voices rang out again to stop her.

_Not Real!_

She hesitated.

"Aaahhhhhhh," came another scream, and then the elf's voice could be heard pleading. "Have mercy, Master — mercy."

CRACK

"Pain!"

_This is false, Sithmaith. This gallery of nightmares is using your worse memories against you._

Anna closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind on one thought. _This isn't real… it's a trick._ _Stop it._ "I said… STOP IT!"

She put her hands on the door and concentrated on the magic within. She pressed forward through the wood and suddenly felt the slashing pain of a thousand knives cutting deep into her body. And then a barrage of clubs fell upon her: They slammed and broke her bones again and again as the knives continued cutting into her. She was battered on the head and shoulders ruthlessly before emerging on the other side only half conscious. She fell to the floor with a deadening thud and the screaming abruptly stopped.

Anna lay sobbing on the dirt floor, too afraid to look up. A yellow flicker of light was dancing on the inside of her eyelids as she waited ominously for the whip to crack again. She finally opened her eyes and peered into the blurring darkness. An open archway stood before her, and a small fire burned in the center of its opening. She slowly got to her feet and swayed: Her trembling body was racked with pain and her left arm was completely numb. She could see a long, dark hall on the other side of the archway and a series of bolted doors on its left and right.

"The dungeons…" Anna whispered aloud, and then another voice echoed into the chamber after her own. It came from the fire, which bloomed as it spoke.

"Where are your keys?" said the voice. Anna stared at the talking flames in disbelief. "Those without keys must be tested to enter."

And then another voice, human this time, could be heard from one of the locked rooms on the other side of the flames.

"We have a visitor, Reggie. I wonder… whom do you suppose would be coming to see us here?"

Anna slowly moved forward. Holding her deadened shoulder with her other hand, she stared up at the fire. "I wish to pass," she demanded. She pointed passed the flames. "I want to see my mother. I've been told she's in one of those cells in the next room." The fire rose to fill the entire archway in response.

"You are without keys, and must be tested to gain entry here. Only those who answer correctly will be allowed to pass."

"Who do you think it is?" said another voice from the hallway beyond.

"I don't know, Reggie… somebody obviously looking for her mommy. But I can tell you this… she's not supposed to be here," the prisoner sang mockingly.

"Should we call the guards?"

"Now… Reggie. Where are your manners? Why would we do that? After all, when was the last time any of us had a guest?"

"Answer my questions or be labeled an intruder," echoed the voice from the flames.

"Yes… my dear. Go ahead… answer our jailer's questions. They're not that difficult. In fact, we'll help you if we can," said one of the voices malevolently from beyond the fire. Anna ignored him. She knew what those voices were coming from the bolted doors beyond — the worst murderers in the prison, no doubt; they couldn't be trusted. Though the feeling in her arm was returning, Anna was exhausted. The journey had taken an enormous toll on her body and soul, but she was so close. She wasn't going to give up now, not when she was this close to finally finding her mother.

"Ask your questions," Anna demanded.

The fire bloomed again. "Very well. The first will test your mind. For only those with reason will pass into the hall beyond."

"I guess that leaves us out," chuckled the prisoner named Reggie.

The fire spoke again. "Tell us, with reason, what relation would your father's sister's sister-in-law be to you?"

Anna gaped at the fire. "My father's sister's what?" she replied unconsciously.

"Oh… come now, child. It's a simple game," said one of the voices from the cells beyond the fire. "Even my friend Reggie here, dim as he is, could figure that one out. Think it through. The answer, after all, is apparently the very goal you seek."

The fire repeated the riddle once more and Anna thought: _My father's sister's sister-in-law?_

"I'm afraid the journey has weakened our visitor's mind, Reggie. Perhaps you could help her by giving her the answer?"

The other man laughed. "I ain't got a clue," Reggie answered, stupidly. "I guess she'll have go back the way she came, eh?" He laughed again.

"Oh, very well," said the other prisoner derisively through his locked door. "Young lady… your father's sister's sister-in-law… would be… your mother, yes?"

Anna took this answer and rolled it over in her mind. It did seem to fit the riddle.

"My mother?" she repeated, unthinkingly.

The flame bloomed again. "That is correct." The two men in the hall next to each other began to clap and cheer as the fire spoke once more. "Rational thinking denotes possible entry. The second question will test your cognitive abilities."

There was another pause and then the fire continued. "A man and his wife were traveling in a forest alone when the woman is attacked by a vicious creature. The man takes his wife to a safe place where he locks her in a room. Soon the woman dies and a stranger has appeared to join the father. Although the first to enter is the last to appear, the father knows the stranger as he would his own flesh. What happened to the woman, and how did the stranger enter the locked room?"

"Ahhh," sang the voice from one of the cells. "Now that's different… and not entirely obvious, is it?"

"What was the question again?"

"Quiet — Reggie. I'm trying to help our little friend. Let me think…"

Anna knew the answer immediately. After the fire's first question, she realized the magic in the archway was probing her thoughts and memories, and using them together with what it knew of its prisoners to form a weapon against her. She stepped forward. "The stranger was a baby," she said, confidently, "and the woman… died… in childbirth."

There was another pause, and then, "That is correct."

"Bravo, my dear. Very good," said a voice from the cell in surprise. "It might have taken me a bit longer to get that one. I'm impressed."

"Did she get it?" asked Reggie.

"Rational and cognitive thinking are the keys to your passage. You may enter," said the flames. The fire blocking the doorway suddenly began to shrink, diminishing quickly until only the soot-covered sand remained. Anna walked through the passage and into the dungeon hall. She reached out and placed her hand to the stone next to her.

"Are you there?" she whispered softly.

_Yes, Sithmaith. We are with you,_ said the magic within the stones.

"Where is my mother?"

"Who is she talking to?" asked the prisoner named Reggie.

"Sssshhh!" snapped the voice in the other cell.

_Victoria Grayson is within the center room,_ replied the shy and timid voice. _B__ut be warned: Wickedness and malevolence are all around you… beware Sithmaith._

Anna slowly walked down the dirt aisle, looking at each of the massive black doors to her left and right. She stopped in the center of the row and looked to her right. The placard on the door gave no indication of the prisoner inside. It only said:

Prisoner A02151950D

Anna placed her hand upon the door.

"Ummm…" moaned a man's voice inside. "Someone's taken a bath today, Reggie." Anna snatched her hand away, and she could hear the other prisoner laughing. She turned to face the door behind her.

Prisoner A11101981A

Anna slowly placed her hand on the splintered wood.

_Victoria Grayson is within,_ said the tiny voice. _Beware… evil awaits inside._

35


	39. Truth, Love, and Fangs

Chapter 39d26 – Truth, Love and Fangs

Chapter 39

Truth, Love, and Fangs

ONE

The Debate:

_To whom thus Michael to our sire said: "Death thou hast seen in his first shape on Man; but many shapes of death, and many are the ways that lead to his grim cave — all dismal, yet to sense more terrible at the entrance than within. John Milton, "Paradise Lost: The Eleventh Book"_

TWO

Anna stared at the heavy door before her. In was made of the same planked wood and bands of blackened steel she had seen in her dream before first becoming the Lethifold. The _Gallery of Nightmares_ had cruelly reminded her of this fact. The door had a rounded top and looked old and splintered, giving no indication of the incantations used to keep it in place, or what might be on the other side waiting for her.

Concentrating on the magic she could feel residing within, Anna raised her other hand and placed it in the center of the wood. She could feel herself bonding with it, as a Guardian would to its existence, and they became one. The Sithmaith and the magic intermingled as she passed through, and Anna held her breath, waiting for the terrible pain to slice into her body once more. It didn't happen. There was a great flash of sunlight, and the brief herbal smell of something she thought might belong in a kitchen.

She stepped into a small room and immediately realized her worst fears were but frail delusions to the misery she now saw. She was at once reminded of something medieval, a place set-aside for the most heavily guarded and dangerous of prisoners. There were chains and manacles hanging empty on the wall, and a slab for a bed levered out of the stone with a jumble of rags for blankets. There were no windows, just the light of two torches on either side of the room, one blue and the other crackling with yellow flame. The light of the torches mingled strangely onto an arched ceiling, creating a cloudy-green mist that swirled slowly in its center. The room was empty.

Anna raised a hand to the wall next to her. "There isn't anybody in here," she said, leaning over to glance quickly under the stone bed.

_Do not be fooled! It is there, very close to you. There is great danger here, _said a little voice in terrified reply.

Anna lowered her hand. "Helloooo…" she whispered. "Is… is there anybody in here?" Nobody answered. Nothing moved except for the strange mist, which continued to slowly swirl above her. And then, as if from a far-off part of the room that didn't really exist, there came a whispered voice.

"Welcome… my kind." Anna looked around in surprise. The voice seemed to come from all around her. Her eyes scanned every corner of the room, the walls, the ceiling, and the bed. She couldn't see anybody.

"Hello? Is somebody there?"

"How did you enter here, my kind?" answered the hidden voice, seductively. "How did you bridge the spells and enchantments that hold us prisoner here?" Anna tried to focus in on the sound. _Where was it coming from?_ She knew she didn't have time to explain her ambitions; she boldly stepped forward.

"I'm looking for Victoria Grayson. Do you know where I can find her?" Anna said, forcefully. There was a long rattle, a sound like death vibrating from the walls all around her, and then the voice spoke again.

"We have not heard that name in years, and years, and… years…"

"Can you tell me where she is?"

"She is… here."

Anna looked around. "Where? Where is she? I need to see her. I need to speak to her. Can you…"

"What is this name to you, my kind?" the voice interrupted. Anna was hesitant. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell this unknown voice Victoria was her mother. Not yet.

"Why do you call me… my kind," Anna replied, still trying to pinpoint the location of the ghostly voice.

There was another long rattle and then, "We are the same, you and I, my kind. I could sense it as you entered our room."

"Listen…" Anna was getting impatient, "where is Victoria Gray…?"

"How did you enter here? How is it that you can pass through our door… while we remain trapped within?"

"Where is Victoria?"

There was a pause. "If we send her to you… will you tell us… how you came to be here?"

Anna thought. She would do anything — say anything, if there were a chance she might see her mother.

"Yes," Anna quickly lied.

"Very… well," said the voice.

For a moment, nothing happened. Would somebody simply walk in from some unseen door? Would the guards suddenly appear from nowhere and arrest her? Another sickly rattle breathed into the room, and Anna looked up. The large, emerald haze had stopped its swirling circle, and was now creeping across the ceiling away from her. It traveled slowly, almost cautiously, down the wall until it touched the floor where it stopped. The green iridescence in the center pulsated and bloomed, and then it began to change. It formed the outline of a person within its cloudy midst, a shape sculpt from nothingness was becoming more distinct with every passing second. Anna could barely breathe. Her heart was pounding as she watched the mist begin to shrink, taking on form and depth in front of her. As if to make space for the thing's arrival, Anna found herself drifting backward against the wall, its cold surface surprised her as if someone unexpected had bumped her from behind. Suddenly, a powerful rush of urgent voices exploded inside her head

_Danger! Beware, Sithmaith… it is evil! You must leave this place… you… _Anna pushed away from the stones to silence them.

From out of the swirling mass a figure carefully stepped forward, and what was left of the mist behind it seemed to evaporate. It was a woman with long red hair and silky, chalk-white skin. She was wearing a nearly perfect dress surprisingly unblemished by the filth within the room. Anna gazed at her in disbelief. She had seen the woman's face before, in a portrait in her father's office. It was Victoria Grayson.

"Mother!" Anna gasped, suddenly stepping forward, but the startled woman moved to the side and away from her. Anna stopped with her arms outstretched, reaching longingly for the mother she had dreamed of her entire life.

"What… did you call me?" said Victoria, her face cast in pallid shock. Anna stepped forward again, but the woman slid to the side away from her.

"Mother… it's me, Anna." Tears began to well in Anna's eyes. She couldn't believe it, but here stood the proof directly in front of her. Her mother, her living-breathing mother, was standing just a few feet away. Victoria straightened.

"What trick is this, my kind? I do not know you. I have never been a mother to anybody." Anna smiled. She had expected this.

"It's not a trick. My name is Anna… Anna Grayson. I'm…" she hesitated, "I am… your daughter."

The image of Victoria frowned. "I have no daughters. No sons. No family. We have been locked away in here, the two of us, longer than I can remember."

"No, you do have a family!" Anna pleaded. "You have me… and you have a husband. Don't you remember? My father — your husband — is Boris Grayson."

"AAARRRGGHHHH!" shrieked Victoria, putting her hands up as if to shield her face from the blinding light of Anna's words. "Do not speak that name!" she bellowed. "Liar, unspeakable lies!" Anna watched in astonishment as the woman's face changed from its beautiful picture-image to that of something strangely different. She looked older, her hair changing from silky red to a tangled gray.

"Mother… how did you come to be in this place? Why are you here?" Victoria peered out at her through her fingers and her eyes suddenly turned cold.

"I was put here by the liar! He tricked me and then lied to me. He said he would help me. He said he would take care of me…" Anna tried to speak, but the words would not come. Victoria fell back against the wall, whimpering, speaking only to her memories. "How could you lie to me?" Anna tried to reach out, but her mother recoiled away again.

"Stay away from me."

"Mother… please, I would never hurt you. I'm your daughter, Anna. Don't you remember? I was born thirteen years ago. My father was with you in the woods, remember?" Victoria slowly lowered her hands to stare at Anna. "You were pregnant with a child, please… you must remember? You had a baby."

Victoria looked down and then slowly raised her hands to place them upon her stomach. She ran them smoothly over her front as if remembering something that was once there, but was now missing.

"A… a baby?" she whispered.

"Yes — yes, a baby… do you remember?"

Running her hands gently across her body, Victoria suddenly smiled. "Yessssss…. a baby… my baby…" she said tenderly, and she began to hum very softly as she stroked her front. The humming became louder and Anna recognized the melody. It was the same lullaby she had heard so many times in her recent dreams. Tears began to roll down Anna's face as she watched her mother smile and coo at the unborn baby she imagined still in her womb.

The humming stopped, and Victoria looked up at Anna. "My baby will be born very soon now," she said, nodding with a happy smile. Anna wiped her face and smiled back.

"Yes, I know."

"Yesssss… a brand new baby. I hope it's a girl," she said, speaking to Anna as if to a close friend. "We've even picked out a name for her. Do you want to know what it is?" Anna nodded. "Her name will be…" Victoria stopped stroking her belly and suddenly looked up. She stared at Anna and then slowly down again at her flattened stomach. Her head jerked up once more. "Anna?"

"Yes, mother…" Anna sobbed. "It's me. I was that baby. Please… tell me you remember?" The woman straightened to look at her. She stepped forward, frowning, straining to take in every detail of her daughter's face from a distance. And then, a wave of sudden recognition seemed to slide over her eyes.

"Anna? My… my Anna?"

"Yes, mother… I'm here." Victoria's face suddenly lit with happiness. She eagerly stepped forward with her arms outstretched toward Anna who was crying, opening her arms wide to meet her. They were about to touch, to finally embrace, when Victoria unexpectedly stopped and jerked back.

"No!"

"What? What's the matter? Mother… please… I want to hold you. I want to be with you. I won't hurt you… mother…"

"Shhhhhh…." Victoria hissed, putting a finger up to her lips and looking around them. "We have to be quiet or… we'll wake her," she said, warningly.

"What…? What are you talking about?" Anna mumbled, looking around the room. "There's nobody here."

"Shhh! She's sleeping."

Anna stared blankly at her mother, lost for words. "She's sleeping? Who is sleeping? What are you talking…?"

"The evil one…" Victoria replied with a shudder, and Anna's blood suddenly went cold.

"The… evil one?" Anna gulped, and a terrifying sensation like cold water running down her spine made her shiver. For most of the year, Anna had wondered whom this _evil one_ could be and what it had to do with her birth. How could this thing, whatever it was, be anywhere near them right now? How could it be in the same room with her mother?

"Who is this evil one, mother? Where did she come from?" Victoria's eyes were darting all over the room. She was visibly frightened, terrified of something unseen. She finally leaned forward as if to tell Anna a secret.

"She's… a murderer," her mother whispered.

Suddenly, odd unconnected pieces of the past seemed to slide themselves together to form a terrifying but recognizable picture in Anna's mind. She looked at her mother.

"Whom did she murder?" she asked, knowing the answer before she spoke.

Victoria looked scared, almost too frightened to reply. She shook her head violently. "I can't tell you. She would be very angry with me. She said we were both there and she blamed it on me. She said I was the one who did it. But _no… s_he was the one. She was the murderer," Victoria rattled, in rapid confession. "Shhhhh!" she sounded, putting a finger to her lips and looking around again. Then she looked up and her face contorted itself into a painful, heart-wrenching grimace. "She killed my…" her lips quivered, "my best friend." And she began to wail loudly.

Anna watched in surprise and then amazement as Victoria's dress started to ripple and change into something that looked more like a rag upon her body. Her features began to change; she looked much older and grayer than the moment before, her skin fading into a translucent white. Anna stepped forward and tried to reach out, but her mother used the wall to slide away from her.

"Get away! Don't touch me!" she yelled, and Anna snapped back as Victoria slid down the wall to sit upon the stone floor, cradling her knees.

"She murdered… your friend?" Anna asked. She leaned over her mother, "Do you mean, Leola? You're talking about Leola Grayson, aren't you?" Victoria looked at Anna in surprise and then her frightened face slowly bent itself into a grimace once more. Her mouth opened wide for what looked like a silent scream to emerge. The woman's head lulled back against the stone and her hands reached up to cover her face, and then she released a loud howl of agony that finally confirmed to Anna the unbelievable truth.

"YEEEESSSSSS!" she wailed. "Yessss…. my poor Leola, my friend. The evil thing killed my best friend." Anna carefully sat on the floor next to her mother, and watched as the woman fell to the side, crying and beating the floor with her fist.

Anna's mind was reeling. Maybe this was why her mother was sent to this terrible place. Complicity in a murder would surely bring the harshest punishment the Wizarding world had to offer. But somebody was with her at the time. _Who was her accomplice?_ Her mother continued to sob through her words.

"Leola! I'm so sorry. I tried to stop her, but she was too strong. She's always been stronger than me."

Anna leaned in to whisper. "Who is she, mother? Where did the evil one come from?"

Victoria sniffed and lifted herself again to sit. She looked at Anna and wiped her wet face with the tattered remains of her dirty dress. Her hair was now a matted mess, her face old and sunken, but her breathing quickened and rattled as she spoke, her eyes turning wild with fear. "_He_ brought her to me," she said, in barely a whisper.

"Who did? Who brought her?" asked Anna, trying to make eye contact with her mother whose head was jerking about, making sure nobody could hear them speaking. Finally, Victoria leaned in and raised a finger to beckon her daughter closer, and Anna tilted her ear to listen.

"The Dark… Lord…" Victoria said, with a trembled voice.

Anna snapped back in shock. "The Dark…?" she stumbled, "the Dark Lord? You mean… _You-Know-Who_… brought this woman to you? How? Why would he do that?" Anna asked, in shocked disbelief. Victoria fell back against the wall and her face seemed to go flat as she heaved a heavy sigh. Her words were cold, shaded in the dull tones of numbness as she started to tell Anna her terrible story.

"The Dark Lord wanted Boris the Muggle-lover dead. Boris's interactions with the Muggles in the business world angered the Dark Lord — he wanted it stopped. He wanted the whole Grayson family killed as an example to all that his warnings should not be ignored. He tried several times to have it done, but his Death Eaters failed again and again. _He-Whose-Name-Is-Never-Spoken_ grew angry and finally took a personal interest in killing Boris himself. He then formulated a wicked plan.

"He…he…" Victoria broke off, suddenly wrapping her arms as if from a cold breeze pressing in around them. She began to shake violently.

"Go on…" Anna said, "what did he do?" Victoria started to rock back and forth in obvious distress. She looked up at Anna.

"He…" she started to whimper, "… he… took… me," she finally said, and Anna recoiled in appalled shock. She had the sudden urge to stop her mother from speaking, not wanting to hear what might come next. She knew her heart was seconds away from breaking apart, but she had to know the truth.

"Yes? Mother, go on… it's all right… what did he do?"

Victoria started to beat her head with her fists. "Pain…" she said, miserably. "So much pain."

Anna tried to remain composed, focusing on the words and not the agony they were causing her mother to speak.

"Pain? What… do you mean?"

"Unforgivable…pain… the Cruciatus curse… pleeeeeaaaaaassssseeee," she wailed. "Pleeeasseee, make it end. Make it stop." Victoria suddenly grabbed the sides of her head, and began to pull her hair with her balled fists. "Paaaaaainnnn… please, God, make it stop. Yes… yes… I'll do anything. Yes… I'll do it. Please stop… please." Victoria was kicking out at the floor in front of her as her eyes rolled back in tortured hallucination. "No… I can't. I won't, please don't make me. I'll do anything… please. No… not that. I love him – I love him. I can't… I won't…. AIEEEEE!" She fell sideways to the floor holding her head, retching in horrified agony. Anna tried to reach out to her, but again her mother wouldn't let her touch her.

"Get away! Get away from me!" she screamed at Anna. "I won't do it! Do you hear me? I WON'T!" Her eyes opened wide, as if looking up at an enemy bearing down upon her. "Please… don't. No more, I'm begging you. No — I can't. I'd rather die — just kill me, please…. no!" She fell to the floor again and began to jerk and thrash about.

"Mother! Stop it! There's nobody here, it's just us…please… VICTORIA! STOP!" Anna finally grabbed her mother and pulled her up straight against the wall. At Anna's touch, Victoria Grayson suddenly stopped screaming. She sat there staring ahead and the strangest look began to move across her face; and then… she smiled.

"Your hands are warm, child," she said, almost musically. She raised her hand and placed it on the back of Anna's wrist; her touch was shockingly cold. And then, very slowly, the woman turned to stare into Anna's eyes. "Your blood is warm, my kind."

Anna frowned and the strangest urge to pull away began to steal over her. Her mother's gaze was deep, loving, almost endless, and Anna felt herself falling into it like the warmest embrace. She knew something was wrong before her mind went blank and her hands fell with a sudden thud to the cold floor.

_Get back! Get away…_ blurted the voices from the stones. Their warning seemed to punch through the haze engulfing Anna's mind, and she suddenly snapped alert from the swimming trance found in her mother's eyes. Anna blinked with a start and then quickly scrambled to her feet.

"Don't go…" Victoria pleaded. "Stay with us, please. Give me your hand, child. Let me hold you. Let your mother take you into her arms… my dear… Anna. Come to me, my sweet." Anna could feel a powerful force drawing her forward again. She quickly looked away to focus on the door.

"Are… are you saying then… it was… Voldemort who…?"

An ugly hiss spit through her mother's teeth as she cringed away. "Do not say the Dark Lord's name!"

Anna scowled at the evil wizard's memory. "He's dead! He can't hurt you now, mother," she said, sternly.

"But saying his name will awaken her," Victoria replied, and her tone told Anna the returning fear in her mother's voice was real. "She is, after all, his devoted servant."

"You… you mean the evil one?" Anna said, quickly looking around the room again.

"Yesssss," her mother hissed, slowly rising to stand again. "After the Dark Lord failed to force me to murder the Graysons, he brought her to watch over me, and he let us leave together. I went home again, and she's been with me ever since." As her mother stepped forward, her image began to change again. Her face was radiant, her eyes blue as sapphires, and her lips red. Victoria's hair suddenly looked combed and detailed, her dress clean and unblemished again. Anna frowned.

"What's happening to you? How can you change your appearance like that?" Her mother seemed to lift herself slightly and almost float across the room toward her.

"I should look my best for visitors. Especially… for my lovely daughter."

Anna was suddenly fearful. She had gone through hell itself to find this person. She put her entire future and her life on the line to get here, and now some part of her was hesitant. There was a strange look on her mother's face, and Anna thought she recognized it as one of longing, of something wanted. But it wasn't anything based on love; certainly… it wasn't that. No, it was something else, and until Anna understood what was happening she moved to keep her distance.

She tried to focus on her mother's story. _So it was Voldemort all along._ Her father already told her Voldemort's Death Eaters had tried to kill him several times in the past, and now she knew the Dark Lord had kidnapped and tortured her mother into doing it. But something about this tale didn't ring true in Anna's mind. Something about it didn't make sense.

"Mother… I don't understand… why would _You-Know-Who_ let you go? Did this other woman have some kind of power over you?"

"Yessss," Victoria said softly, still moving ever so slowly toward her. "She was in continuous contact with the Dark Lord. She wanted to serve him… to please him."

Anna stepped to the side again to increase her distance. "So what happened after you got home? What did you do then?" Victoria suddenly stopped, and Anna could see her eyes looking around as she tried to think back.

"His servant told me we had to get inside his house. We had to get closer to him."

"You mean Daddy? I mean… Boris Grayson?"

"The liar!" Victoria hissed, and Anna could see the blue in her mother's eyes change suddenly to red as her anger bloomed. "Yes… we needed to get closer to him, my oldest — most devoted friend. We grew up together… did you know that? The homes of our parents shared the same hill, and I fell in love with him the moment I first saw him… when we were just children," she said, and she began to purr, her eyes changing again back to a lovely shade of blue. "But the evil one had a plan, you see. She made me do something she knew would make Boris take us into his home, take us closer into his heart."

"What… did you do?"

"A little thing, really; nothing of any great importance. We burned down my mother's house," Victoria said, with the softest smile turning on her lips.

"You… you what?" Anna whispered, horrified and remembering her nightmare from the night before. Her mind was sent traveling three thousand miles back to her home, up to the cliff-side spot on the other side of Grayson Hill where the smell of burnt wood and brick fell into her brain. Her own mother… "You… burned down the Jennings estate?"

"Yes…" Victoria said softly. "She started the fire, but we both took our turn with the torch. She said it was the only way." She smiled gleefully. "She was right. Boris took us in immediately, of course. He wouldn't leave his oldest friend to be homeless. His heart was too kind."

"So that's when daddy let you move into the Grayson house?"

"Yessss" said Victoria, floating forward toward Anna again. "Can I hold your hand again, my dear?" Anna was mortified by Victoria's admissions, but her instincts remained sharp and warned her to keep her distance. She moved aside without responding to her mother's appeal.

"And… Daddy just let this other woman move in as well?"

"Ohhh… Boris did not know about the other," Victoria replied, looking around the room again. She placed a finger up to her lips. "Shhhhh. I think I hear her stirring. We mustn't wake her." Anna straightened and quickly glanced around to listen. Although she couldn't hear anything to suggest somebody else was there, Anna thought this other person could just as certainly enter the room as her mother somehow did.

"Okay… we'll be quiet," she agreed, and Victoria smiled back gratefully. "So did the other one come with you? Was she still watching you?"

"Oh yes. She was always there, watching… and waiting for the opportunity to strike. And then, the Dark Lord suddenly had a better plan. He wanted to give me something special; a reward for keeping quiet about his wicked servant entering Boris's house."

Anna frowned. "He wanted to give you something? What did he give you?"

Victoria took a long, purring breath and then looked at Anna excitedly. "Boris," she said with a grin. "He wanted me to marry Boris. The Dark Lord knew I always loved him, ever since I was a child… so he wanted to give me a present." Then Victoria suddenly frowned and looked angry again as her feet seemed to drop a few inches back to the floor. "But I told his servant, no! I didn't want Boris. I told her… I hated him… that we were never friends." And just as suddenly, Victoria's face lifted as her mouth bowed another somber smile. "But they knew my heart well; they knew… I was lying. I had loved him for _so_ long. I couldn't keep my true feelings hidden from them."

Her mother gave a little shrug. "But I asked her… 'How could this be done?'" she continued. "Boris was already married to my best friend… to Leola. They had the children, and they had just named a new baby son…" she paused, as if trying to remember, "…the dragon boy."

_Damon_, Anna thought, listening closely to her mother's every word.

"And that's when…" Victoria stumbled slightly, "… when she did it." Her face contorted once more into a painful grimace of agony. She covered her face as she fell back against the wall. "I didn't want to do it," she cried. "I told her. I wouldn't… I couldn't, but the Dark Lord's servant threatened me. She told me I would be returned to her master to be punished. I begged her not to…" Anna stared in disbelief at her mother whose every word seemed to bring more pain.

"What… did she do?"

"She said Leola wouldn't be hurt. She promised me she wouldn't be hurt… they would take her away and hide her so I could have Boris to myself. She said I could take care of the children, and then Boris and I could have our own babies. She said I could have everything I've always wanted. All I had to do…" she stopped.

"Yes…? Go on, mother. What did she want you to do?"

"They wanted me to get Leola outside at night near cliffs. They wanted to capture her there, you see, and fly her away. Fly – fly – fly away," her mother sang, "like a beautiful little bird… she would fly away to a safe place." Victoria looked again at Anna who was cringing as she listened.

"When Boris was away, I told my friend I had lost something important to me in the forest behind the estate; I asked her to help me find it. Leola was so kind. We were schoolmates, you know; friends for life," Victoria explained vaguely. "Of course she would help me. So we left the house and we walked together in the woods by the light of our wands. We were looking for something that was lost… searching for something… that wasn't really there."

"Is that when this other woman attacked her?" Anna asked her, looking frightened again. Victoria looked up at the ceiling and then around the room to insure no one was listening.

"Yes. The evil one cursed Leola… making her immobile. I watched her drag her toward the cliff… and she…" Victoria started to howl in pain. "Poor — dear Leola. She was looking at me. Her eyes… dear God, her eyes were staring up at me, and I could see she didn't understand. I tried to tell his servant to stop. I asked her how they would fly Leola away. She began to scream at me… she ordered me to help get my friend closer to the cliff. I told her I would, but only if she promised not to hurt her.

"Her… eyes…" Victoria moaned painfully again. "Leola's eyes were staring at me; I could see she was so scared. I told her she wouldn't be hurt as I helped the evil one to drag her to the edge. I could tell she didn't understand. And then…" Victoria whimpered, "…and then…"

Anna dropped her head; she suddenly didn't want to hear the rest. She wanted to leave this awful place, to run as far away as she possibly could. And all at once, Victoria let out a howl of suffering, soul wrenching pain; she covered her head in shame and misery, and then began to claw horrible gashes down the front of her face with her crumbled nails. She screamed Leola's name in a wail of heartbroken agony.

"HER EYES! I can still see her eyes looking at me as the evil one… pushed her over the cliff." Victoria let out a ghastly shriek as she fell to the floor once more. Anna rushed over to her and was shocked to see her mother in tattered garments once again, lying curled in a ball on the stone floor. Anna cried with her, lowering herself to soothe and console the woman.

"It wasn't your fault, mother. It was the Dark Lord's servant; she forced you to help her," Anna said, patting the woman gently on the back. "Is that why they put you here? Is that why you were locked in this place?" Anna leaned over her mother and hugged her. "It isn't fair; she was the one who did it, mother. Her and Voldemort…"

Suddenly, her mother's head twisted around to face her. "I told you… NOT TO SAY THAT NAME!" she spat, through deadly fangs.

Anna eyes widened in horror as she scrambled backwards to get away. Her mother's eyes were blood red, her face white as bleached bone. Anna could see hideous black veins pulsating under the clawed scratches in her cheeks as Victoria began to crawl toward her. Anna kicked back to the opposite wall, pressing hard against the stones in terror at the thing coming toward her. The magic was suddenly there, blasting its warning through her brain like a siren.

_Get back… run away… the thing is evil. She is kalandomõ, a devourer. A creature – black!_

"Get away!" Anna demanded, as she reached into her robes and struggled to pull out her wand. She stretched out her arm and pointed the purple heart shakily at her mother.

"I said, GET BACK!" Victoria hissed loudly as she slowly rose to stand. And just as quickly as they had appeared, the fangs were suddenly gone; replaced by a penetrating smile and a soft purr. Anna arched back against the wall to stand, her wand still shaking in her grip. The magical voices were still howling at her.

_Le__ö__l__é__s… escape now while you can… it is __kalandomõ… lamia… Vampir…_Anna was shaking her head and crying in disbelief as she watched the creature in front of her change once again into the beautiful image of her mother, the ugly gashes down her face disappeared and shown with the light of blushed youth.

"I said… get back! I… mean it," Anna sobbed, extending her arm forward as she bent slightly to wretch. Her head was swimming in shock as the thing moved hypnotically in front of her. _How could this be?_ Anna thought, looking back toward the door. She must have made a mistake. This foul thing couldn't be her mother. _But then… how could she have known all that she had said? _It had to be some kind of trick. Anna's mind was failing to connect the random thoughts whirling in her brain as the thing steadily moved closer.

"Come to me… Anna. Do not be afraid. I would never hurt you…" the creature purred. "I want to be near you, my sweet daughter. Let me hold you." Once again, Anna could feel the power of the thing drawing her near, enticing her to come closer.

"NO! You're not my mother!" And then the words finally came out like a sickness moving up her throat. "You're… you're a vampire!" The image of her mother started to sway hypnotically side to side, and then, without warning, there was a flash of movement to Anna's left and the creature was suddenly standing next to her, whispering into her ear.

"Yessss… my sweet…"

Anna screamed; the creature had moved so fast, too fast to see.

"…we are the same, my kind."

Anna screamed again and jerked away. She ran to the opposite wall, still pointing her wand.

"Shhhh…" Victoria said warningly, "you must be quiet, or you'll wake the other."

Through her sobs, Anna's anger erupted forth. "There is no other!" she yelled. "It's only ever been you. You're not Victoria Grayson!"

"Oh, but I am, child; I am. Would you like to hear my tale? I would tell you how it happened, Anna, how I was reborn, if you promise to tell me how it happened to you."

Comprehension seemed to dawn on Anna just in time. For some insane reason, this creature believed that she, Anna, was also a vampire.

"Tell me then," Anna demanded – still pointing her wand. "Tell me how this happened to you." The creature looked at her with a swaying smile.

"Very well," her mother said softly, stepping to the side. She carried an inviting, but horrifying stare over her shoulder as she moved.

"After the evil one murdered Leola, I took over the Grayson house. The liar Boris was distraught, as were the children by the accident I told them I had witnessed. I said Leola had stumbled at the cliff's edge that night and dropped her wand before she fell. They were upset at the tragedy of it all, but I cared for them… my lovely new family. I wiped their tears and remained close to Boris. It was easy for me, you see, because I loved him so much.

"A year passed, and eventually the family began to accept me as the manor's mistress, and Boris finally told me that he loved me. We were married soon afterwards… such a joyous thing. Everybody told me how beautiful I looked in my dress." At these words, Victoria's garments suddenly began to shimmer and change into a white-veiled wedding dress. "You see… how beautiful I can be?"

Anna was sobbing loudly. She dropped her wand for a moment to wipe her face with the sleeve of her robes. Victoria took a step forward toward her and Anna jerked her wand up again as her mother purred on.

"After waiting for so long… I finally had my Boris, and it seemed all my dreams had at last come true. I loved him so much in those days. But the other was always there, whispering in my ear, telling me what to say to Boris about the Muggles. She would tell the Dark Lord what Boris was planning, and his Death Eaters would block everything Boris was trying to do. They were working to destroy his work so that nobody would take his place after they killed him.

"After a time, the healers said I was with child." Anna frowned and looked away, but the vampire seemed to use every distraction to get closer to her. Victoria was lovingly kneading her stomach again. "Our baby grew; Boris was so excited. As the time of the baby's birth drew near, the entire family and all of our friends… were so happy for us," she began to hum and whisper gently to her baby again.

Then, without warning, Victoria's tone abruptly sounded panicked and scared. "But then…the evil one was suddenly fearful."

"Fearful?" Anna sobbed, almost uncaringly. "What do you mean?"

"The wicked servant could not make contact with her dark master. She tried again and again to reach out to him, but he would not respond. He had disappeared without warning after _All Hollow's Eve_. The evil one was worried and reached out to her Lord's Death Eaters, but found them quickly disappearing, going into hiding. Nobody knew what had happened to their master. He had vanished… he was gone." Anna recalled the tale of Voldemort's death right before the time of her own birth.

"So… what did she do?" Anna asked her.

"The murderer was desperate to find her master. She demanded that we use my mother's kaleidoscope to locate him. The eyes of Verosapt told us the Dark Lord had survived a deadly confrontation with the Potter boy, and was sent in spirit form into hiding in a remote forest in Albania. She insisted that we go to him and devote our lives to his recovery."

Anna suddenly remembered the night Eric had witnessed this exchange of information with the kaleidoscope in his room. _The person lost in the forest… it was Voldemort. They were looking for Voldemort._ She looked at her mother, still swaying rhythmically just a few feet away from her.

"So you… you went to Albania?" Anna said distrustfully.

"I didn't want to go. I was about to have a baby. I told his servant I couldn't leave Boris. I said the Dark Lord was powerless and lost to his Death Eaters, and I was finally free of him; I would be his slave no more." Anna felt an unexpected boost of agreement. After everything that had happened to her mother, she at last saw her trying to pull herself out of the clutches of this evil woman.

"What did the evil one do? Did she leave?"

Victoria shook her head. "No. She was very angry with me. She said I had to go with her, that the Dark Lord had bound us together forever and I would never be free of her. She threatened to kill my family. She said she would tell Boris I had murdered Leola.

"But I wasn't afraid anymore. I told her… I was going to tell Boris about her presence in the house. I knew he was a very powerful wizard, and would find a way to separate us." \

What was left of Anna's spirit suddenly fell. While her mother had clearly demonstrated an eagerness to free herself from Voldemort's servant, whatever happened next had obviously lead to her failure.

"Your threats didn't work… did they?"

Victoria began to whimper. "No…" she moaned, shaking her head miserably, "… the evil thing would not release me. She wouldn't leave my family alone to be happy. She was enraged and said her master would punish my disobedience. But I told her — I didn't care anymore, and I would not let her hurt my husband. Oh… she was so angry."

Her mother suddenly looked fearful as she whispered, "She had a knife. While we were in the kitchen she grabbed a knife and put it to my baby." Victoria groaned in agony, putting her hands over her stomach as if to protect it from some unseen assailant. "SHE THREATENED MY UNBORN BABY!" she wailed. "She… she said she would kill the child before it was born…" Victoria sobbed, falling against the wall and then pounding her fist against it angrily. "What could I do? What… could… I do?"

The horror of these words sent Anna's heart tumbling in sorrow. The image of some evil hag in her own home with a knife to her mother's pregnant belly sickened her. She shook her head, forgetting for a moment that the creature standing before her was a predator.

"You couldn't do anything, mother. There was nothing to be done… but… to obey her?" she asked tentatively.

Victoria turned to look at her, surprised by Anna's sympathy. "You understand, don't you? You see… I had no choice. I… I couldn't let her hurt our baby.

"But we could not Disapparate while on the grounds. We had to sneak away, get to the barrier at the gate, and then make our escape from there." She paused, and then she smiled. "But Boris found me trying to leave the house. He couldn't understand what I was doing. I told him I had to go away; I said I had something important that I had to do, and I begged him to let me go. We argued. He said he would not allow it…" Victoria sobbed, happily. "He told me he loved me… he told me again and again," she wept. "He said the baby would be in danger if I left the house. He told me that whatever I had to do… he would have it done. But I wouldn't listen… I told him I had to go. He didn't understand… he said he wouldn't allow it. He would never let me go." Victoria began to sob.

Anna was apprehensive. "What… happened?"

"That's when she attacked him!" Victoria said, turning angry. "The evil the Dark Lord had sent to watch over me finally showed herself and attacked my husband." Anna's eyes widened in horror as her mother relived the moment. "She used my wand against Boris, and then left him to die on the grounds outside the house." Victoria made a ragged sigh. "She took me away from my husband, my children… the only home left to me." And at these words, she began to wail loudly.

Anna let her mother cry without comfort. She couldn't find the proper words to offer this poor, tortured woman, nothing that would ease her pain. Although she couldn't comprehend the terrible events that lead to what had happened, Anna could clearly see the results. Her mother was completely mad. But somehow, through all the pain and tears, Victoria Grayson continued her sad tale.

"We traveled together to that awful place where the eyes of Verosapt had said her master was hiding. We walked for days and days without end. Through the dark and cold forests we traveled on and on, with very little sleep or food. I begged her, for the baby's sake, to let me go home but she wouldn't listen. She took my wand away from me so I couldn't escape.

"At times she would leave me and go off searching the woods alone. I could hear her screaming for the Dark Lord, screaming his name… _Master… Master where are you? You're obedient servant is here, Master. I am here to serve you. Where are you? _But the Dark Lord would not come to us and, after several days of searching, we finally understood why." Victoria found a way to smile again. "Boris… had found us. He was in the forest with several others from the Ministry. He was so close; sometimes I could hear them yelling my name in the woods. They were calling to me. Oh… the evil one was so angry. She said she would kill them all. She believed they were keeping her master away from us.

"We kept moving without rest. Then, on our fifth night, I could feel the baby coming; it… was… time for my baby to be born. I fell to the ground unable to continue, but the evil one was without pity. She screamed at me to get up. She said her master was close; she could feel his presence nearby. But I could not go on. She swore at me. She said she would kill the baby after it was born, but I couldn't stop it from coming."

"My God…" Anna whispered, as her mother spoke of the moments before her own birth.

"And she was right…" Victoria said, staring up at the ceiling again. "The Dark Lord was very close. I remember looking into the blackness of the trees between my pains… and then suddenly… he was there."

Anna's eyes widened. "Who was there? Who was it?"

"A shadow… looking down at me with raging red eyes. I begged him to help me. I told him to call for my husband. I tried to tell him my baby was coming. The shadow lifted me into the air and I could hear the evil one screaming with joy and happiness."

"_My Lord… my Master… we have found you at last, _she said to the thing holding me in his powerful arms. But she was wrong… it was a trick…"

"A trick? What do you mean?" Anna could see the terror in her mother's eyes looking straight through her.

"It was not the Dark Lord. It was… a shadow dweller, a phantom of the night, one of the old ones. It was… my kind."

Anna's heart wrenched horribly. "Dear… God…" she said under her breath.

"The thing bared its horrible teeth at me. It struck, and I screamed. Ohhhh… the pain…" Victoria sighed, wrapping both hands around her own neck. "I tried to fight the thing off of me… but I didn't have my wand." Victoria started to cry. "I didn't… have… my wand."

Anna was shaking uncontrollably. She suddenly remembered the dream she had months before, of hunting in the forest and attacking Debbie Dunning in exactly the same way as her mother had just described. The thought sickened her.

Her mother's breathing quickened. "I could feel the life draining from my body as the creature fed upon me. Realizing its mistake, the _evil one_ at last became my protector and tried to attack the thing killing me. And then… and then…" Victoria's mouth opened again. Her jaw shook and quivered, as her tears slid down her face to mix with the drool falling to the stone floor.

"MY BABY!" she screamed. "MY UNBORN BABY, IT… IT… STOPPED MOVING! I could feel it dying in my belly. The thing was killing us both." Victoria started to gasp and wretch. "It was getting hard to breathe. The moon above me was growing dim, he was killing us and I couldn't stop it. That's when I knew… I could bear no more. I would die… with my baby… there in the dark woods." Victoria placed her hands over her stomach and began to hum the lullaby once more. "We will die together, my sweet," she said mournfully, her mind transported to that moment of dread in the forest.

"I felt my heart begin to flutter, it was almost over. I remembered thinking that I would finally be rid of the evil curse the Dark Lord had placed upon me. But then," the pace of Victoria story began to speed up, "I heard screaming coming from the woods around us. There was a yell, a flash of red light, and the thing killing us released me. I heard Boris yelling my name as the creature that had just gorged itself on two lives turned to flee. But my husband saw him and became enraged. He wasn't going to let the thing evade his wrath. With a single wave of his wand, he cut one of the legs out from under the thing's body, and I heard the creature fall to the ground screaming in pain. It tried to rise again, and Boris, my… dear… sweet… protective husband, blasted a hole straight through the creature's black heart, and sent it back to the pit from which it came."

Victoria's face seemed to grow pale. "I remember the thing falling next to me and watching its demon eyes go dim. And then a cold and horrible presence seemed to pass through my body as it left the creature. Finally… it was dead. My dear, sweet Boris had saved me. My rescuer was by my side once again.

"But I was weak, so very weak. I fell asleep for a time and told myself it was too late, that I would never awaken again." She paused and then, without warning, Victoria's body rose a few inches off the floor again.

"But I did awaken… and I rose again as never before in life. I was strong, well, and… I… was hungry." Victoria was now standing at her full height and swaying again. Like a tall willow blowing in a breeze, she began floating once again toward Anna. "I was starving; uncontrollable – all consuming yearnings that I had never felt before were within me. It was a hunger in the deepest part of my soul, and I could smell the feast of life all around me," her mother said, breathing deep of the air in the room. "The room I was in was teeming with the scent of prey everywhere. I saw my husband, my lovely-delicious Boris standing at the foot of my bed, holding something in his arms. It was a baby… my baby. I could smell it, taste its tears in my mouth as it howled.

"_Give it to me_, I whispered to him. And then one of the men in the room saw me rising out of the bed and screamed a warning. I immediately set upon him and tasted his delicious blood."

Anna fell back against the wall and slid into the corner. She suddenly realized Victoria was much too close now. "Get back!" she yelled, pointing her wand at the swaying figure of her mother again.

"Ahhh… only someone as you can imagine it, my daughter, and the rapture of the moment. His blood was sweet in my mouth, his body warm and in my loving grip. But the other men grabbed me, and placed upon me several curses. They bound me tight. The evil one was there as well; she had been captured in the forest with me. I begged Boris to rescue me – to set me free. He said he would help me. He said he wouldn't let them hurt me. He said he would take care of me."

Victoria's voice immediately changed to rage. "LIAR!" she screamed, bitterly. "FOUL LIES; Boris… the liar, my devoted loving husband… never helped me. He sent me here to this foul place and locked me away with the evil one. He left me here to rot with the Dark Lord's devoted servant."

Finally there was silence and Anna wept. In all her dreams… nothing could have prepared her for this, at finally seeing her mother and then learning the awful truth about her fate. It was too much to bear. _Why did my father lie to me after all these years? Why did he send Victoria to this terrible place? Why would he betray her trust?_ _Why did he betray me?_ Anna's mind was buzzing with the images of her father, her mother's portrait, the dreams of hunting as a vampire in the woods, the starving hunger she only thought was the Lethifold.

Anna realized her mistake too late. For the briefest moment she had let her guard down, and her mind was delayed to recover from its unexpected lapse. In a rush of blurred color the creature was whispering into her ear again.

"So what are we to do, my kind?" Anna yelped and jerked away, completely surprised at the speed at which the thing had moved.

"Stay back!" She yelled, still pointing her wand.

"We can go together and leave the evil one here," Victoria said, swaying again. There was another rush of color and Victoria was speaking into her other ear. "Tell me… how are we to escape this place?"

Anna screamed again in surprise.

"Sssshhhhhhhhh," Victoria warned, in her sweetest voice. "I told you to be quiet. I can feel the evil one stirring."

Anna looked up at the ceiling, for any sign of another presence about to enter the room. The image of her mother stepped back and suddenly faded into the green mist Anna had seen when she first came through the door. The mist spread itself like a fog throughout the room around her, and Anna could hear her mother's voice whispering maliciously inside her head.

"You're blood is warm, my kind. How can this be? Have you recently fed? You make me jealous, my sweet. For I have never been allowed to feed properly. I sometimes dream of hunting in the woods, feeding in the ancient ways that our nature demands. What is that like, my kind, to feed on the blood of others? Let us leave this place so I may hear your stories. I did my part, I told you my tale. Now… show me the way out!"

Anna was struggling to remain focused._ I have to get out of here_, she thought, as she fanned at the mist invading her mind. The fog began to coalesce into a shapeless form standing by her side.

"How did you enter this enchanted prison, child? Please… tell me your secret, so I may leave with you."

Anna was terrified. She moved slowly to the center of the room within the mist surrounding her, and then turned to place herself between the murky form becoming visible there and the door behind her. She was in trouble. It was going to take time to move to the door and then summon the concentration necessary to pass through the barrier. Without another thought, Anna whirled around and took a step toward the expected door. She looked up and screamed in surprise at finding her mother's burning red eyes standing in front of her.

"Where are you going? I kept my part of the bargain." Victoria said angrily, her voice rising as she stepped toward Anna. "You would not… leave me here? You would not betray me like your father!" she threatened, tilting her head to the side as if examining Anna's intent. "You wouldn't… lie to me?"

"GET BACK!" Anna yelled, and quickly moved to raise her wand. Victoria caught her by the wrist and then noticed the purple heart in her hand. She frowned.

"This… is… my wand," Victoria said, angrily. "You stole this wand, didn't you?" She saw the cross of gold around Anna's neck, and her eyes narrowed. She snatched the chain off of Anna's chest with her other hand.

"Thief! Robber of graves! This is my necklace!"

"Nooo," Anna moaned, trying to break her mother's grip. "My father gave me these things," she said, wincing in pain.

"LIAR!" yelled Victoria. "You're exactly like your father! He said he would take care of me, but he lied. You said you would help me, but you would leave me here. Why? Why would you…?" Victoria froze. Her stare deepened as her nose seemed to flare at the air around them. Her eyes slowly moved to Anna's wrist locked in her tight grip. She pulled Anna's hand toward her face and began to look at it closely, pryingly. Her face melted into the beauty of her young once more as her blue eyes turned to stare back at Anna. They were entrancing, deep, endless, and warm. Never breaking her gaze, she pulled Anna's wrist to her mouth. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, and then moaned longingly. Anna was trembling with fear as her mother suddenly stopped, her nose pushed into the inside of Anna's wrist.

"You… are _not_ my kind, are you… my dear… sweet… Anna?" Victoria's eyes suddenly snapped open. They were blood red as her face shot forward. "YOU ARE ALIVE!" she screeched, barring her horrible fangs. Anna screamed and tried to pull away. She yanked on her wrist to break free of the thing, but the creature was much too powerful. The vampire pushed her against the wall, and opened her jaws wide. She immediately swooped forward toward her daughter's neck.

"No!" Anna yelled, grabbing the top of Victoria's hair with her only free hand. She wrenched her mother's head back, and raised a foot to the creature's mid-section to hold her away. Locked in this position, Anna could hear her mother giggling with anticipation.

"HA-HA-HA—hee-hee-hee-hee. You should have died with me that night in the forest, Anna. No matter… we shall be together in death again very soon." She snatched Anna's other wrist away and pulled her arms to the side against the wall. Her face was hideous, chalk white and filled with inky-black veins. Her tongue was pointed and grotesque; it was flicking and twitching longingly between her fangs and Anna screamed as Victoria lunged forward into her neck. There was a revolting crunching sound, and then pain like nothing Anna had ever felt before. Anna gasped in horror through her mother's matted hair pressing into her face. Victoria Grayson, her own mother, was trying to kill her.

Familiar voices began to fade in and out of Anna's brain. Her father's soft words, "You remind me so much of your mother." Her brother, Eric: "You look a lot like her… it's a little eerie." Flashes of color appeared and exploded before her like fireworks. The painted light began to weave images and pictures of her past, the rolling green walls of falling ocean, Gwen's laughing face, an angel fighting a dragon, Sarah Bell's white seer's eyes, Widwick on her lap sliding down a banister, chess pieces arguing with one another.

And then, through the jumble of rotating images, Anna could hear a distant voice calling out to her, as if trying to get her attention on a crowded street. The call finally broke through the pain and paint of Anna's mind and rocked forward like a beam of powerful light.

…_centrate… you… must concentrate, Sithmaith!_

It was the magic within stones behind her. They were yelling at her from the wall pressing into her back.

_Concentrate on the power behind you, Guardian!_

Anna tried to clear her mind, but the pain… the agony of what her mother was now doing was unbearable. She could hear Victoria drawing hard against her neck and swallowing eagerly.

_Sithmaith! You must break away…_ yelled the now fading voices in the background of her mind.

Anna immediately felt the urgency in their tone falling away. What was once a terrified choir of fear screaming into her ears now seemed weak and feeble; her last solitary whisper of hope dying. She was loosing them, and the frailty of their failing echoes filled her with dread. She tried to dredge up the panic they once sounded, and Anna could feel a spark of consciousness pulsating behind her again. Like a drowning child returning to the surface for one last chance at life, they came back to her and she immediately struggled to link with them.

The vampire was in an all-consuming frenzy. Although her jailers had given her the necessary food and water to live, they only rarely and hesitantly offered the few drops of the cold animal blood to endure the pain of withdraw given her nature. Scarcely adequate to keep her alive, the blood was hours, sometimes days old, leaving the creature to sleep the imperceptible days and nights away, dreaming of the warm blood of victims whose heartbeat she could feel against her lips. But in all of those endless years of suffering slumber, nothing could have prepared her body for what she enjoyed now. The taste of an open wound against her mouth, the blood pouring into her body like a warm spring; it was an orgy of love and relief and engorgement all rolled into a single word. It was ecstasy.

The creature could feel her body warming for the first time in more than a decade, and as the relic of Victoria Grayson heated, she could feel her power and strength returning. And then, without warning, she felt something cold and unexpected pressing into her face. She opened her eyes in shock to find Anna's body disappearing into the wall of stone behind her. She could feel her fangs scraping against the rock as she tried to pull Anna back.

"NO!" she screamed, releasing Anna's neck. "You're mine!" She pulled on Anna's wrists and wrestled her back into the room. Victoria was laughing. "Heeee — hee-hee… there you are!"

Anna looked up in horror at her mother's face covered in her blood. The vampire raised Anna's left hand and sunk her fangs deep into her wrist.

"UGGHN!" Anna gasped in pain as her mother began bending her wrist back; it finally broke with a horrible snap and Anna screamed. Dropping to her knees, Anna suddenly realized the creature had released her wand hand. She raised the purple heart up and pointed its tip into Victoria's chest.

"_Impedimenta!" _she shrieked. A blast of white light smashed into her mother's center, and she flew across the room and into the opposite wall.The vampire scrambled to her feet, howling like a wounded animal.

"Stop it!" Anna screamed, pointing her wand at her again. "Don't make me curse you!" Her wand was shaking uncontrollably in her hand as she cried. The creature snarled as she rose to look at Anna's blood dripping from its hands.

Anna began to slide across the wall toward the door and wretched at the sight of Victoria licking adoringly at the blood running down her wrists. Her mother suddenly saw Anna moving and stopped; she growled at her and Anna froze. She knew she would never make it to the door before the creature attacked her again.

And then, without warning, the creature began to fall back. Her face immediately changed from that of a predator to one of terrified fear. She quickly fell into the corner of the room, cringing in apparent terror.

"She is awake…" Victoria whispered, her eyes darting into the space around them. "She knows you're here," she whimpered. "The servant of the Dark Lord… is coming!" Victoria looked at her again, and to Anna's surprise her mother began to wave her away. "Quickly — you must leave this place!"

Anna looked around the room suspiciously. Was this a trick, something to get her to drop her guard? She couldn't see anything to suggest something had changed in the room. There was no swirling mist, there were no voices, nothing different from before. Anna looked at her mother who was now cowering in the corner, her face turned away in fear at the wall. Anna pointed her wand at the creature; she would not be fooled again.

"It won't work, mother. It was you all along, wasn't it? There has never been another person in this room with you. It's always been just you! I was told the first week I arrived in Spellsburg that the evil one was here, somewhere in a prison of its own making. I was told it would destroy me if it knew of my existence. I was told it was in this room. But I only found you! Where is this evil one, mother? Show her to me! Prove to me it wasn't you all along."

"Pleeeeaseee… she _is_ coming. You have to go; run away, child!" Victoria whimpered, still shrinking in the corner.

"You can't show her to me because she doesn't exist! There is no other, you made it all up. It was all just a bunch of lies to cover your evil deeds. It was you! You… are the evil one!"

"Go! Leave here… before… his servant comes!" Victoria moaned into the corner.

"SHOW HER TO ME!" Anna yelled angrily, stumbling slightly against the wall. She was becoming dizzy from both her wounds, the loss of blood, and rage. "It was you that attacked me just now. It was you that tried to kill me, you that tried to kill my father! IT WAS YOU THAT KILLED LEOLA GRAYSON!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO…" Victoria moaned, "no… no… no…"

Anna put a hand to her neck and looked in shock at the amount of blood she found there. She had to get out of there; she was moments away from passing out, and if she did, Anna knew the creature would certainly finish her off. Slowly, very cautiously, Anna started to back away toward the door behind her. She finally turned to leave, but another voice was heard behind her, a high shrilling voice like a scream without volume.

"_Who is this that dares to enter our prison, Victoria?" _Stunned_,_ Anna wheeled around and looked about.Nobody else was in the room, nobody she could see; only the sobbing form of her mother shaking, still cringing in the corner.

Anna could hear her mother whispering into the wall. "Go… run away. Run awaaaayyy." And then she heard the shrilling, demon-like cackle from her dream burst forth into the room once more.

"_Who is this child you are warning away from me, Victoria? Why is she here? WHAT HAVE YOU TOLD HER?" _ The ugly, piercing voice was so loud Anna had to cover her ears. It seemed to stab at her from everywhere in the room, digging into her brain like a knife. Anna backed away against the wall, looking desperately for the source of the sound, but only the gentle sobs of her mother could be heard in the farthest corner.

"She… she is my daughter. She is my Anna," Victoria whimpered into the wall in reply to the other.

"_But you have no daughters…"_ cackled the voice again.

Anna's brain tried to triangulate on the spot from where the thing was yowling. It seemed to echo and reverberate off the walls everywhere, but with every word the thing said, Anna began to close in on its hiding place.

"_I have been with you for years, Victoria,"_ the voice continued, _"but there have never been any children. No one you would call…" _the voice suddenly paused, and then,_ "…ahhhh… but wait. I do remember a child. A baby… taken from you before we arrived here. That Muggle-lover husband Boris Grayson took it from you, didn't he? Yessss… I remember now..."_

"Yes," Victoria whispered back. "My baby… Anna. You remember… I said I would name her Anna after she was born? My daughter has grown in her father's care. She… she has come to visit me."

"_Foolish of the guards to let her enter here without an escort, don't you think? I see the thing you call a daughter has been wounded. You have been very rude to our guest," _screeched the voice.

Anna's wand was searching the room like a divining rod, looking to find the voice. It was close, very close to where her mother lay in the corner. _It must be a ghost_, she thought nervously. Victoria started to rise out of her corner, her face covered in matted-gray hair, still buried in the wall.

"I didn't mean to hurt my baby," Victoria sobbed. "I couldn't… help myself."

"_Oh… you shouldn't worry about that, Victoria. Daughters always forgive their mothers for most anything. Isn't that right, my dear,"_ said the hideous voice to Anna.

"Why don't you show yourself?" Anna demanded. "Who are you?"

"_I? Why… I am the Dark Lord's most faithful servant, you stupid brat! He is coming, you know. He is coming very soon to rescue us from this foul place."_

"Voldemort is dead!" Anna yelled and, surprising even herself, she thrust her wand forward toward the evil voice, toward her mother.

The voice hissed loudly._ "You dare! You dare say my Lord's name?"_ it screeched.

Victoria quickly whirled around to glare at Anna and the voice, the horrible shrilling screech, issued forth from her mother's mouth. _"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK MY MASTER'S NAME!" _Anna stumbled back tripping over her own robes. The thing was coming toward her again, screaming like a siren into the room._ "Keep your nasty Muggle-loving mouth shut!" _Anna scrambled back to her feet and thrust her wand forward.

"Get back!"

Victoria stopped, but the ugly voice within her continued. _"You will see, you nasty little girl, the Dark Lord will return. Even your stupid mother knows this to be true, don't you, Victoria?" _And then the voice coming out of Victoria's mouth changed, the expression on her face turning to fright.

"Yes, he is returning…" Victoria whimpered, and then the face turned cold again.

"_You see? My Lord will come for us, and then… oh, and then he will reward us for our faithfulness." _Anna retched again, wanting to vomit. The two voices within Victoria began conversing with one another, back and forth, one meek and soft, and the other cold, heartless, and evil.

"Let my daughter go. She is innocent. She only came here to see me…"

"_But she represents our reward; can't you see that, you idiot?"_

"Reward? What reward?"

"_She is the daughter of the one who sent us here. She is the seed of the betrayer Boris, your dear-sweet husband. You remember Boris don't you, Victoria? You remember him — I am sure. What was it you used to call him?"_

"The… liar!" the thing said, in Victoria's angered voice.

"_Yes… very good. He lied to you, Victoria. He said he would care for you, but he left you here to rot and die, didn't he? We should kill the child to please our master and fulfill our vengeance."_

"Shut your mouth!" Anna yelled back, pointing her wand again. She had heard enough. "Voldemort is dead. Your master has been dead for thirteen years, and he's never… NEVER… COMING BACK!" The creature hissed loudly, and Anna thought she heard her mother's voice filter through the sizzling rage.

"Oh no…"

"_HOW DARE YOU SAY MY MASTER'S NAME! If you speak his name again, I'll have your weakling mother kill you where you stand. And she'll be more than happy to do it, as you well know already. Killing isn't new to Victoria; she's done it before. She is powerless to fight against my will."_

"You were responsible for Leola Grayson's murder, you and the one who put you inside my mother. You're a demon trapped in my mother's body, put there by _Him-Whose-Name-Is-Cursed_!"

"_I was not put here, you ignorant little brat. My master did not take his most devoted follower and place me into this body. No… you see I have always been here. I have been in this body since the day Victoria was born. My master, using his great power and might, allowed me to come forward. He set me free from Victoria's silly moral bonds. Her values of right and wrong now have no connection to me. I control her actions, she bends to my will, and when my master returns for us he will reward his most faithful…"_

"He's DEAD! Your master is not coming back!" Anna roared angrily.

"_Shut your filthy-miserable mouth!"_ the thing screamed. _"You will see; I will prove it to you…"_ she said, desperately tugging on the tattered sleeve covering one of her mother's arms. She tore the cloth open, pushed the sleeve back, and thrust her bared forearm forward at Anna. _"There! You see? It is my master's Dark Mark."_ Anna looked in shock at the horrible burn on her mother's arm_. _

"_Only his most faithful servants have it, and it's been growing darker all this year. Do you realize what that means? HE is growing stronger… he is coming… and he is coming to rescue us," _and she howled in hideous laughter. And then Victoria's soft voice pushed forward.

"Anna… you must leave this place. Please… leave here." And then, just as suddenly, her voice changed again.

"_NO! She will not escape. You will kill her, Victoria. You will kill her for our master."_

"No… she is my daughter… my baby…"

"_Shut up, you fool. She is the daughter of the liar Boris… remember? The one who put you here to perish with me even after all his promises to help you? He lied to you… and he sent his seed in here to lie to you again."_

"No… stop it, I won't," Victoria pleaded with the thing inside her head.

"_You must! The Dark Lord is coming for us. You know this is true. Do you deny it?"_

"Yes… he is… coming."

"_Do you wish our Lord to punish us again?"_

"…no…"

"_Then do as I say and… KILL HER!" _

Victoria's eyes shot forward blood red, her voice stronger. "Anna, the evil one is so powerful. She's forcing me to… to..."

"Mother!" Anna yelled. "You must fight her. You must be stronger than her. You have to try." The figure of Victoria started to sway side to side as the cackling voice started to laugh.

"_Mother… oh mother… you're so strong,"_ the other voice shrieked mockingly. _"She is weak, child. Kill her, Victoria. Do it now!" _Victoria's body began to change again to its most beautiful, most enticing image. Her red hair flowed and blew itself back as if from some non-existent breeze filling the room; her face radiated an aura of loveliness. She began to speak softly to her daughter.

"Come to me, Anna. Come to your mother."

"Voldemort is DEAD!" Anna screamed, still pointing her wand. Victoria hissed and turned away.

"_Kill her… kill her!"_ screamed the other voice, and in a rush of wind Victoria grabbed Anna by the throat and pushed her back into the wall. Her eyes were blazing like red coals. She spat in Anna's face as the killer within screamed through her bared fangs. _"Filthy seed of a Muggle-lover – take her blood!"_

"No!" Anna screamed, kicking out hard, and the two of them fell to the floor together. They rolled over and over until Anna was pinned under her mother's weight. Victoria's black tongue was moving in at Anna's already bloodied neck.

"Please… mother… you can't… I… I love you!"

At these words the creature froze. She stared disbelievingly down at Anna's crying, cringing form on the floor beneath her. She rose up and Anna could see her words had finally penetrated some part of what was left of the woman's soul. Anna slowly raised her hand and placed it on the side of her mother's face; she stroked it gently through her sobs.

"You poor thing… I understand now. I know what he did to you, mother. But you can fight this… and… you can come back to us. We love you. Daddy still loves you. He told me so." Anna's soothing touch seemed to calm the creature back into a quiet purr.

Her head was thrown back._ "Kill her!"_ she screamed, angrily. But as Victoria looked down at her daughter again, her eyes were soft and calm, her voice filled with the deepest sadness.

"No," she replied decidedly. Victoria then pushed herself away and scrambled back against the opposite wall.

"I WON'T DO IT! I won't hurt my child again," she yelled back at the evil one inside her.

"_Betrayer! You dare to betray our Lord's will? He will punish you! He will use his power to…AIEEEE! AAKH!"_

The shrieking high-pitched voice was screaming in pain. _"What is this?" _she said, grabbing its own forearm. She removed her hand and stared, her eyes widening in disbelief at the Dark Mark there upon her skin. Her head then slowly fell back and rolled into an ugly cackle. She then screamed into the room with happy delight, brandishing her arm toward Anna.

"_YOU SEE? Do you see Muggle-lover? My master has returned; he is calling his Death Eaters to his side at this very moment! He is BACK,"_ and Anna looked in horror at the mark on her mother's arm. Smoking and black, the image of a skull with a tongue like that of a serpent was clearly moving on her pale skin. It rose up on her forearm to hiss loudly at her.

"_HE IS BACK! OUR LORD HAS RETURNED!" _the evil one howled, as she stood and began to twirl in a small circle and then dance around the center of the room. _"He will come for us; he will free us from this prison and reward our loyalty to him." _She stopped and her attention suddenly snapped down at Anna still lying on the floor. _"And when he arrives, I will greet him with a gift; the dead body of that Muggle-lover's daughter. Another dead Grayson will surely make my master smile."_ She lunged at Anna, laughing hysterically, but the Guardian was ready.

"_Reducto!" _

A blast of light hit Victoria square in the chest, sending her crashing into the door behind her. She howled in pain as she scrambled to recover. The vampire and Anna rose together. There was a flash of movement to the right. Anna tried followed, but she was too slow. There was another streak of smeared shadow back to the left, a rush of wind forward, and the vampire was upon her again. Anna screamed and tried to bring her wand around, but it was blocked and slammed back against the wall. The creature opened wide to strike, and Anna closed her eyes knowing she was finished.

And then there was an abrupt and unexpected pause, and Anna could feel the creature's grip loosened as it pushed away to lean back. Anna cautiously opened her eyes and saw her mother's head turned away, looking behind her.

She was staring at a floating, white orb that had appeared within the middle of the cell. The temperature of the air began to drop, and Anna could hear the crackling sound of freezing moisture in the stones behind her head. She could see her own breath as a fog moving through her mother's hair. And then, without warning, Victoria yanked Anna's body around as a shield between herself and the glowing orb now growing within the room.

"Release her!" came a booming voice from the center of the orb.

"_What is this?" _fumed the evil one behind her.

Anna stared at the orb. Its luminescence and radiating rays of coldness were recognizable even in her weakened state. Anna leaned back to look at the thing holding her from behind.

"You have another visitor," Anna whispered, unfeelingly.

"Release the Sithmaith… now!" roared the orb again as it bloomed and grew larger, filling the space in the room with its radiance.

The vampire wrenched Anna back, gripping her windpipe tight enough to cut off her air.

"_She belongs to me now. I will…"_ but there was an unexpected flash of blinding light, and a huge head came forward from out of the center of the orb.

"MURDERER!" screamed the face of Leola Grayson just inches away. The vampire pushed Anna into the light and fell backward to the floor.

"_NO… you're dead… DEAD!"_ screeched the evil one. Anna wheeled around and pointed her wand down at the creature that was cowering and moving away.

"_Reducto!" _Another blast from the purple heart smashed into the side of the creature's body.It screamed in pain as it rolled back against the wall. In a flash, it was on its feet again and moving to the left. Anna's wand followed her until it stopped in front of the door. The vampire crouched low and hissed at Anna through bloody fangs. It moved forward toward her and Anna took aim.

"_Reducto!" _

Another jet of red light shot at Victoria who immediately ducked. The blast slammed into the door behind her, which exploded into the hallway in a shower of splintered wood and sparks and into the door of another cell opposite.Victoria looked in wonder at the gapping hole in the wall where her prison door once stood and turned to face Anna again. Her face was blazing with excitement.

"_We are free!"_ she screamed, and before Anna could curse her again, Victoria Grayson blew out the hole and into the passageway as a foggy, green mist.

Anna fell back against the wall of the cell and slid to the floor. Bloody, sick, and beaten, she could feel her brain beginning to shut down. She could hear several guards somewhere down the hallway screaming and yelling. There was the sound of wands exploding, streaks of light jetting down the passageway outside the open door, and all the time the voice of the evil one was screaming, _"I'm coming Master, I'm coming. HA HA HA HAW HAW HAW! We are freeeeee…!"_

"What happened!" yelled a guard, lifting his comrade off the floor. The man was scratched and bloody, his crimson robes shredded.

"A… an escape… sound the alarm! We can't let her get outside," said the injured man holding a tattered shoulder. A loud horn sounded in the corridor, and the faint scream of a siren could be heard blaring somewhere outside.

"My God!" yelled the man, helping his friend to his feet. He could now see the moaning bodies of several injured guards lying in heaps down the long hallway in front of them.

Several more guards suddenly entered the passageway behind them and one of the sergeants screamed, "Which cell?" The injured guard, leaning on his companion, pointed a shaking wand down the corridor where they could see a door had been blown out of the wall.

The Crimson Guards began marching down the corridor in mass.

"Wands out!" their leader yelled. They were within a few feet of the opening when they heard a voice whispering inside the room. There was a loud _CRACK_ and a flash of white light hitting the now burning door on the opposite side of the hall. They ran to the opening and took defensive positions against the wall outside; two guards high, another low. The leader nodded at the other two men and they all scrambled through the breach, wands at the ready. They rose together, looking around in stunned wonder. For those who had lived in Drogo prison more than a month nothing ever surprised them, but this night would be different. There was blood everywhere they looked, but to their surprise the room was empty.

59


	40. Shadows of Blue Light

Chapter 40d22 – Shadows of Blue Light

Chapter 40

Shadows of Blue Light

ONE

Mister Grayson sat alone in his conference room working on a number of scrolls. A large group of Ministry visitors had just left the estate, and the bitter smell of Floo powder was still pungent in the air around him. He leaned back and smiled.

"Finally… finished at last."

He had just completed the last of his Ministry meetings, and Greechins was laboring back and forth from the adjoining office to collect the remaining signatures necessary for his boss's absence over the next week.

"These are the last two that require your review, sir," said the goblin. A double roll of parchment was saddled over his head as he reached the desk. His boss didn't move.

"Think of it, Greechins," said Mister Grayson, staring across the room in a wistful daze. "By this time next week the children will be home from school, and I'll have them all to myself for two whole months." He leaned back and sighed. "It's going to be glorious."

"Uhh… yes, sir. If you say so, sir," growled the goblin, as he heaved the heavy scrolls onto the desk. Mister Grayson looked at the creature and grinned.

"You don't like it when the children are here, do you?" Greechins looked up at him in surprise. "Do… you?" repeated Mister Grayson, cutting off any attempt at a well-mannered protest.

The goblin looked down shaking his head. He then jerked up, surprised by his moment of lapsed honesty and thinking to explain himself. "It's just that… ahhh…" the creature stammered, "well… having the children in the house… while being extremely well mannered, and understanding of the important nature of your duties at the Ministry… they do have a tendency to take you away from your work, sir."

Mister Grayson gave an exaggerated frown. "But there are some things more important than work, Greechins. Wouldn't you agree?" The goblin looked taken aback, and then seemed to catch himself from saying what he was thinking. He lifted the final scroll onto the desk.

"I'm sure I wouldn't know, sir," he replied blandly, and Mister Grayson laughed.

"That's why you're so invaluable to me, Greechins. You're a brilliant and talented — workaholic."

The goblin smiled wide. "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much for the compliment, very gracious indeed!"

"You may leave early today, Greechins. We've settled our Ministry business for the week, and I'll be traveling to Castlewood in the morning. Have you seen to my calendar for the week following my return?"

"Yes, sir; and Mrs. McConnell has completed your travel arrangements. They're on your nightstand upstairs… as you requested."

"Very good. Did Meredith leave anything else for me?"

"No, sir. Only a scribble on the envelope saying she'll be taking a later ship. She will meet you in Castlewood for Master Eric's graduation ceremony on Friday.

Mister Grayson grinned. "Ahh, yes. A Castlewood graduation… there's nothing in the Wizarding world quite like it, absolutely marvelous."

"I'm sure that's true, sir. Are we still expecting Master Eric to gather top academic honors?"

"I'm not as sure now as I was at the beginning of the year. All of the time Eric's had to devote to the new Guardian Union has taken him away from his studies. Pry as I may, Chancellor Thordarson's choice for Valedictorian remains a closely guarded secret."

"I am very certain the young master will prevail, sir."

"From your mouth to the Chancellor's ear then, Greechins." There was a pause while the goblin collected the signed scrolls back from his boss.

"Are you sure there is nothing more I can do for you, Director."

"I wish there were. It might make the time between now and when I leave for Castlewood tomorrow go a little faster," Mister Grayson heaved. "You should go home to your family now, Greechins. I'll see you when I get back. You can take the elevator back to the bank if you like."

"Very good, sir." The goblin stuffed the scrolls under his arm, and then paddled his very large feet across the conference room where he entered the brass elevator and turned to push the button on the panel. _"Gringotts Bank!" _commanded the little creature, _"Los Angeles branch."_ The goblin looked up. "Have a safe trip, sir," and door rolled shut with a thump. There was a cavernous whooshing sound, and Mister Grayson was at last alone. He reached back in his chair to stretch, rubbed his eyes, and then pushed his fingers through his thick wavy hair with a sigh.

"Finally!" he said, relieved.

Through the rhythmic ticking of the clock behind him, there came a whisper in the background of his mind that suddenly jerked his body straight in reply. He looked cautiously around the empty room and down the long black table in front of him, listening hard. Although nothing seemed out of place, he knew instantly that something was wrong. Living in the Grayson estate his entire life had honed the man's ability to discern the failings within his home with uncanny skill. He slowly stood, knowing full well one truth that alarmed him. He wasn't alone.

Having been attacked by an intruder just a few months earlier, Boris Grayson had been unconsciously wary in his own house as never before. For some strange reason, the home he relied on for his personal rescue in times of difficultly or overwork was no longer the shelter from stress on which he had come to depend. Although he had told his rescuers from the Ministry that night he was unharmed by the ghostly assault, the personal nature of the attack without proper explanation reminded him of the days when such things were a common occurrence. When he and those in the Ministry were constantly on guard for their very lives. Those were the days of Voldemort.

There was another breezy whisper in the air surrounding him, and he found his hand reaching instinctively into his robes; with a sharp snap he pulled out his wand. He heard the gentle whisper again, but this time he could hear the draft forming words.

_Liaaaarrrr… Liar!_

Mister Grayson slowly raised his wand. He was angry. This was his house; the home of his children, and another invader had somehow crossed the barriers meant to protect it. But this intruder was about to learn there was one more defense for sanctuary's protection, one last barrier to keep interlopers away. The master of this estate was a formidable and very powerful wizard; but sorcery aside, this trespasser would fall to something far more powerful than all the magic and spells protecting it combined. A father standing guard over the entrance to his children's lair was indeed something for the sane of mind to avoid. Nothing was more dangerous to an invader than this, except of course, perhaps, the ferocity of a mother.

Mister Grayson swiftly rounded the side of the table, finding a more defensible position in which to hold his ground. He looked around the room again, forcing his mind to study everything as if for the first time.

Suddenly, an unexpected jet of flame shot from one of the stone basins sitting at the table. The blue fire rose eight feet toward the ceiling, lighting the entire room with a brilliant flash. Each of the other bowls around the table began to light in turn, blasting high like the first and temporarily blinding the wizard.

"Arghhh!"

Mister Grayson covered his eyes from the sharp pain hitting him in the face, stabbing his brain like daggers through to the back of his skull. He suddenly knew he was vulnerable; if the intruder struck now he would be helpless. Immediately, a fearful thought rushed forward as he waited for something unknown to leap from out of the fire, and he realized this was probably the worst kind of enemy to face. Intruders that slink and hide are eventually found and easily expelled, but those that purposely make their presence known are the most dangerous of all. He raised his wand.

"_Nox!"_ he barked. _"Lunmenose Terminus!" _The blue flames were snuffed black in an instant. He tried to focus what was left of his vision, shielding his eyes from the residual blaze of blue light still blinding him. The spell to extinguish the light had worked effectively, but not in a manner adequate to protect him from attack. He stood motionless, poised for battle. The room was dark except for the soft glow of golden light from under the adjoining office door, an inviting offer of sanctuary. Still half-blinded, he headed toward it.

Reaching the latch, he noticed the amber glow lighting the tops of his shoes from beneath the door was now fading to black. He took hold of the handle and raised his wand. As quietly as he could, he pushed the handle down and the door opened. The office was completely dark except for the blue light above Victoria's painting; it was enough to see the room was empty. He entered, and quietly closed the door behind him, scanning the space for anything unusual.

"Lights!" he barked again, and the golden globes surrounding him immediately began to brighten.

"Noooo…" said a soft voice from across the room, and the globes dimmed again to black.

Mister Grayson was startled. He jerked his wand up at the back of his office chair. "Who is it?" he snapped at the chair facing away from him.

"Liar…" hissed a whispering voice in reply.

"Turn around so I can see you!"

"You lied to me…" said the voice with deadly coldness.

"I said, turn around!"

The chair began to creak as it slowly turned to face him. The person sitting in the chair was buried in the shadows, created by the portrait's blue light. From the distance several feet away, Mister Grayson could see the top of the intruder's head and for a moment he thought he recognized the color of the hair. His eyes rose to look at the portrait above and then back down to the person sitting in the chair.

"How could you do that to me…?" breathed the voice malevolently.

Mister Grayson shuddered, a feeling of deepest fear knifing its way into his heart.

"Victoria?"

"Why would you do that… to me?"

"_Lumos!"_

"No!" hollered the voice in response. Mister Grayson's wand flashed once but was extinguished again immediately. In the fraction of time it took the light to reach out, he saw what was sitting in the chair.

"Victoria? How did you…? How did you escape from…?"

"Drogo?" answered the voice from out of the darkness again. "How could you do it? In that place… IN THAT PLACE!" the voice screamed at him. Mister Grayson lowered his wand.

"I had no choice," he said, resignedly. "You know that I had no choice."

"You had a choice… and you lied to me… YOU LIED!"

"Victoria… my dear… sweet Victoria," he moaned.

"Don't call me that!"

"I loved you so much… so very much. I was lost without you…"

"Liar! You couldn't have loved anyone you would put in that place… in that pit set for demons!"

"I had no choice. You were out of your mind with rage. You wanted to go back to him. You wanted to return to Voldemort. I couldn't let you do that. You were my wife… and I was responsible for what happened to you. It was my fault… all my fault." The man covered his face, trying desperately to hold in his pain.

"I'm truly sorry, my love. They told me it was the only safe place for both you and those who cared about you… where you would receive the attention you needed. I obtained the best healers, the best of everything, and I finally put you in the charge of someone whom I personally trusted. Somebody I believed could help you. He said he would try." The man bowed his head.

"But… as the years passed… it became obvious you would never be released from Voldemort's curse, and the people I trusted with your care would never release you to me. The damage Voldemort did was…" he stopped, not wanting to finish what he was about to say. Looking up, he tried to recover his hope for the woman he once loved. "But I haven't given up, my darling. You… you should stay here. You can come back to your family, to the people who care about you. You won't have to go back to Drogo. Please… stay with us. Stay… with me. I… I still… love you."

Suddenly he could hear the sound of something strange coming from the chair across the room. Like an unexpected moan on a freezing night, it echoed out of the corner toward him. It was weeping. Mister Grayson approached the desk looking to offer comfort to his wife.

"Stop!" said the figure huddled in the chair. Even from the deep shadows engulfing her form, he could see his wife cringe at his approach. "Stay away from me!"

"Victoria… please, can't you see…? I still care. I still have hope."

"Liar! Stay away…"

Ignoring her warnings, he came around the desk looking to see her face properly. But as he reached out to her, she pushed the chair back and disappeared into the shadows once more.

"How could you? How could you tell me… she was dead?" sobbed the voice from the chair. The words hit the man like a bolt of lightning to his body.

"What… did you say?" Cautiously, he raised his wand, pointing it at the ceiling. _"Lumos!" _The bright light cut the mud of darkness in the room around them, and he saw the figure in the chair cringe and turn away.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, as the chair spooled around. The person sitting there suddenly bolted across the room and behind the side of one of the cabinets against the wall. Mister Grayson couldn't believe his eyes; he followed after the figure around the desk moving to hide itself. He stood before the huddled form in the corner and stooped low to reach out.

"Anna?" he said, suspiciously, not trusting his eyes. The face looked up at him and he fell back in shock. "Anna!" He could now see his daughter covered in blood from her chin down her chest. "Oh my God… Anna!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, bringing his wand around to look for the source of her injuries. He could see the wounds in the side of her neck.

"Get off!" Anna shouted, shoving her father backward to the floor. She rose out of the corner to stand over him.

"How could you? Why did you lie to me? You told me she was dead!"

Mister Grayson was staring unbelievingly up at his daughter, the shock of his mistake still working its way into his brain. "Anna! What's happened to you? You're bleeding… let me help you." He scrambled back to his feet and reached out to her again.

"You stay away from me," she screamed. "Why did you tell me my mother was dead?"

Mister Grayson's mind was caught in a whirlwind, trying to understand how his daughter had been injured, how she had come to be at the house, and what she was asking him. "Anna… I don't understand… how…? What's happened to you?"

"Why did you lie to me? You said she was dead!" Her father straightened, recovering what was left of his senses.

"She is dead," he said, sorrowfully.

"You're lying! I saw her… I know she's alive." Mister Grayson gaped at her, his eyes moving to her neck again, and Anna could see her father's analytical mind putting the pieces together.

"What do you mean… you saw her? How did you see her?"

"I was there… at Drogo." Anna stepped forward and screamed at him, "I saw her in that place… that horrible place you locked her in! How could you do that?"

"How? How… could you have seen her? How do you know about Drogo? How would you possibly enter there?"

"It doesn't matter. She was there. I saw her, I spoke to her."

"Did she do that to your neck? Did she attack you? Is that what happened to you?"

"That doesn't matter," Anna yelled back angrily, waving his concern away.

"But it does matter, Anna. It does. What you say you saw was not your mother — not anymore." She glared back at him, but her father was quick to continue. "Would a mother do that to her own daughter? She's gone, Anna. What you saw was only the shell of the woman I once knew. Voldemort destroyed her mind to get to me, and then she was killed while in Albania looking to return to him."

"She wasn't killed. She was attacked. It was a vampire!" Anna screamed.

Mister Grayson was desperate. "How did you get inside Drogo? How did you get out? How did you come here?"

"I had help," she seethed.

"What do you mean?"

"The magic that made me what I am helped me to get to her. And when she escaped, it gave me the knowledge I needed to come here."

"Escape?" He looked at his daughter in horror. "Anna, what have you done?"

"I had to see her," she said, meeting what she saw was anger growing in his eyes. She was getting weak. The events of the night, together with her loss of blood, were excising her ability to remain focused. She stumbled slightly and suddenly found her father holding her upright. She hadn't even seen him move across the room. He was yelling at her.

"Anna! What did you do? What do you mean, she escaped?" Anna's anger quickly matched his own. She wrenched away from him.

"Don't touch me. My mother shouldn't have been put in that place."

"Anna, you don't understand. You don't realize how dangerous she can be." He stepped toward her again, but she fell back.

"I don't believe you. I'll never believe you — ever again!"

"Anna, please…"

Anna found her back against the wall and her father bearing down upon her. "Get me out of here," she said, listening for the magic within the walls behind her. She concentrated on their whispered reply, and then repeated the words necessary to make her escape. There was a flash of light, and the immediate sound of a loud CRACK.

Her father reached out, "Anna, no!" But it was too late; to Mister Grayson's astonishment, Anna had Disapparated.

TWO

Eric, Gwen, and Sarah were pushing their way through the crowd of people leaving Vollucross stadium.

"You should have told me, Gwen. I don't understand what you were thinking?" Gwen had never seen Eric so furious.

"I thought Sarah and I had talked her out of it, Eric. Honestly… I was convinced we had changed her mind."

Following the Triwizard Tournament, it quickly became obvious to both Gwen and Sarah that Anna was in trouble. After Professor Bots had made several requests over the stadium crowd for Anna to report to the starting line for the final Vollucross race, they immediately became fearful that their friend might have done something unthinkable. Arriving too late to stop Eric from flying off without her, they checked the stables and found Swooper missing, and a note from Anna confirming their worst suspicions.

_ Dear Gwen and Sarah, _

_ I'm sorry I had to mislead you, but I have to know the truth. Pray for me._

_ Love, Anna_

After Eric landed at the end of the race, Gwen and Sarah took him aside and told him everything. It was a lot for him to absorb. Drogo prison residing on the north side of the mountains, Anna's belief that her mother was still alive and being held a prisoner there, Anna riding off to search for her. His first instinct was to fly after her, but he immediately thought better of it; she had already been missing for several hours. He decided to immediately locate Chancellor Thordarson and enlist his help to find his sister.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Eric fumed, as he pushed his way through the crowd with Gwen and Sarah holding on to his robes.

"She thought you already knew, Eric," Sarah explained. "She thought you and your father had been keeping her mother's situation a secret from her."

Eric wheeled around to glare at them. "And did it ever occur to you that was impossible, that the kaleidoscope might have been leading her into danger?"

"Of course it did, Eric," Gwen fired back. "But it doesn't matter now; what matters is that Anna believed it. We have to stop her." Eric grumbled something indistinguishable at the two of them before pressing on through the crowd.

When they reached the open plateau the three began to run. The gates to the city were nearly in sight when a flash of light caught their eye in the open field ahead of them, and a sharp crack like a gunshot filled the air. They could suddenly hear the sound of several people in the distance yelling and screaming, and Eric stopped to glace back at Gwen who was already certain they were thinking the same thing. The two of them immediately headed for the crowd of people gathering a hundred yards away. As they got closer, Eric could hear their voices hollering.

"Somebody get a doctor!"

"Please, give her some space, everybody move back!"

"My God… she's bleeding. Call the guards… quick… call for help."

"Out of the way!" Eric yelled, pushing himself through the thickening crowd.

"Eric! Is that you?" He could hear John Dell's voice calling out to him.

"Yes, John. Who is it? What's happened?"

"Let him through. You there… move aside. Let her brother through! Eric, it's Anna. She's been injured!"

_Oh no… please, God, no._ Eric rudely began shoving those in front of him aside. He finally broke through the crowd and entered an open ring of onlookers pressing in to see. There he saw Anna, lying on her back covered in blood, and John Dell kneeling by her side holding her hand.

"Anna…? Anna!"

Eric ran to his sister. Even in the shadow of the crowd pressing in, he could see how pale she looked. He fell to the ground next to her and lifted her head. "My God, what's happened to her?"

"It looks like she's been attacked by some kind of animal," said John. "Look." He lifted a bloodied handkerchief away from Anna's neck and Eric could see the deep, obscene wound. It looked bloated and purple.

"Somebody call a healer, quick!" Eric demanded.

"Pearl's coming, Eric. I can see her making her way over here," said another voice in the crowd.

"How did this happen? Did anybody see what happened to her?"

"I saw her Apparate here and then fall immediately after she appeared," said a fifth-year girl stepping forward.

"That's impossible!" said somebody next to her. "Nobody can Apparate anywhere on this mountain, never mind onto the plateau."

"I'm telling you I saw her do it. There was a flash and then a crack, and then she was here. It happened right in front of me!"

"That's right," said another boy, leaning in. "Just like she said; she Apparated right here."

"Here comes Pearl, make way for the healer," yelled another voice.

"_Eric…?" _

Eric looked down and found Anna looking up at him. "Anna! Don't move. You've been hurt. You're bleeding. You have to remain still."

"Eric… she's… alive. I saw her… she's alive." Eric looked up at Gwen and Sarah standing next to him. Sarah was crying, and Gwen was covering her mouth in shock. "She's alive," Anna repeated weakly.

"Move out of my way," came the familiar roar of Doctor Pearl's voice. "Stand aside, I say…"

The crowd finally parted and Pearl lumbered through. "Good heavens!" she bellowed at the sight before her. "The Saints have mercy, what's happened?" She rushed in and began searching Anna's body for the source of all the blood.

"Help her, Doctor, please," Eric pleaded, showing her the wound in Anna's neck.

"And here," said John, showing the doctor Anna's bloody and badly broken wrist.

"Dear Lord… conserve her strength," Pearl prayed, opening her bag.

Anna could barely see the fading figures above her blurring in and out of focus, but she could still hear Eric's voice calling to her.

"Anna… please… stay with us. You've got to hold on… Anna… you've got… on…"

Doctor Pearl's hands were working feverishly. She removed a yellow vial from her bag and mixed a bit of powder in the fluid. She then tapped a tune upon the rim of the glass with her wand, and watched the yellow fluid change to silver as she moved in. "Drink this!" But Anna lay limp in her brother's arms. "Lift her head!" Eric did as he was told, and Pearl pressed Anna's jaw down and poured half the contents of the vial down her throat. Anna coughed up the crackling-smoking potion along with liberal amounts of blood. The crowd groaned.

"This isn't working. We have to get her to the hospital floor immediately." Pearl looked up. "You there!" The crowd looked up and saw two Crimson Guards hovering on doors above them. "I need you to help me get her to the hospital right away!"

"Yes ma'am!"

The guards conjured a stretcher with an attached chair for the doctor. They placed Anna on the stretcher, and then soared off toward the castle with Pearl working furiously on Anna's wounds.

"What in the world do you think could have happened to her, Eric?" asked John Dell, but when he looked around he found Eric was gone. He was already half way to the city gates in a dead run.

68


	41. The Return of Voldemort

Chapter 41d26 – The Return of Voldemort

Chapter 41

The Return of Voldemort

ONE

Anna did not dream. Although her perception of time had been completely obliterated by an enchanted-induced sleep, she somehow knew when she finally opened her eyes that more than a single day had passed. Unwilling to move for fear of the impending pain, she lay in her bed quietly staring up at the ceiling, cataloging any twinge she could sense without stirring. To her surprise, she found it was her wrist that hurt more than anything. She squinted at the stabbing pain as she raised her injured limb in front of her face to have a look. She found thick bandages encircling her hand up to her elbow. Staring at the wraps around her wrist, she tried to move her fingers.

"Ouch…" she whispered with a wince, and then gingerly let her arm fall back to her chest. She felt an immediate urge to cry that had nothing to do with her injury.

From the side of her bed, a man's face appeared to offer a friendly smile. His eyes were a beautiful blue, and peered down at her over half-moon spectacles seated atop a very crooked nose. He had a lengthy gray beard that matched his long hair, which flowed down around his shoulders and out of sight into her blankets. Although she had never met this man before, Anna knew immediately whom it was now sitting by her side.

"Good morning, my dear," the man said, gently. "And how are you feeling this fine day?"

Anna didn't know how to respond. Only one thought kept racing through her mind upon seeing this man. _I must be in very serious trouble. _Mustering her courage, Anna tried to speak.

"Hello Professor…" She swallowed hard. Her throat felt raw and sore. "Professor… Dumbledore…"

The old man's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "Ahhh… for a moment, I thought I should have you at a disadvantage, but I see this is not the case."

"Newspaper…" Anna croaked, "saw your picture in the newspaper," she explained, thinking of the many articles she had read about the Triwizard Tournament.

"Oh… I see. I do hope they got my good side," he said, flippantly. "Old men like me are rarely photogenic. Oh well… so be it. Albus Dumbledore… at your service," he said in a formal British accent, which was followed by another inviting smile. "From what I've heard, you've had a very traumatic week, Anna Grayson."

Anna was stunned. It was one thing to find the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looking in at her bedside, but this was too much to believe.

Swallowing hard again, she asked, "How do you know my name, sir?"

"Oh, I feel as though I've known you for quite a while, my dear. A few of us in a very small circle have been keeping an eye on you for some time now." His head teetered slightly to the side. "But, I will admit… I've had what you Americans so fondly like to call… _the inside track_ on your progress this year. Our own transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, has been keeping me apprised of your…uh," he peered over his glasses at her, "growing skills? She's been extremely impressed with your new-found abilities."

"For all the good they did me," Anna replied warily. "I'm afraid Professor McGonagall is going to be very upset when she finds out what I've done." She looked away, too embarrassed to look Dumbledore in the eye.

The old man looked sympathetic and spoke very softly. "You know… I've always been a man agreeable to giving people a second chance when I find they are truly repentant of their actions and of a gentle heart. Are you such a person, Anna?" Her shame kept her from replying. "I'm not sure what you've done, but you have the all the makings of a very forgiving family… and so many understanding friends. After all, your mother was not the first victim of Lord Voldemort."

Anna looked at him in surprise. "You know? You know about my mother?" The man looked at her, his gentleness changing to that of understanding.

"Yes… I know," he replied. "I know all about your mother, and… where's she's been these last thirteen years." He looked sorrowful, but continued quickly. "In fact, that is why I've come to you… to warn you, and your father, and several other friends who I now feel are in very great danger."

"Danger? But… do you know my father?"

"Oh — yes. He and a number of others living abroad were once part of an _order_, a secret society of individuals fighting against Voldemort's growing power before you were born. You, of course, know the story of Voldemort's fall?" Anna nodded and Dumbledore leaned in, his friendly expression changing to that of careful deliberation.

"It is my unfortunate duty to deliver the most regrettable news to you, my dear. I am sure you will hear several rumors in the days to come, but I felt it necessary to personally warn as many old friends as quickly as possible." He stopped to take in a deep breath. "Lord Voldemort… has returned."

Anna looked appalled, disbelief moving immediately across her face. Her first reaction was to question the man's logic, but she could see it in the wizard's eyes; he was somber, concerned, and very serious. Anna looked away and then remembered something important.

"She said… he had returned…" Anna whispered, thinking of her mother and what she had said while still in the prison's dungeon.

"What was that?" Dumbledore said, sharply.

Anna looked at him again. "My mother told me… she was so sure… he had risen. How could she have possibly known?"

Dumbledore sighed again. "Our intelligence has informed us that Voldemort's Death Eaters instantly knew of his rebirth the moment after it happened and have since returned to his side."

"Death Eaters?"

"Yes… those branded with the Dark Mark were, at one time, called Death Eaters. They were Voldemort's most trusted followers." Anna remembered the horrible mark on her mother's arm and how it turned black when she said the Dark Lord had risen.

"My mother wanted to go to him," she moaned flatly, considering for the moment the unbelievable.

Dumbledore studied her. He could see Anna struggling with the reality of the truth just revealed to her. "If you don't mind my asking you, how does the news of Voldemort's return make you feel?"

Anna looked up, startled by the question. "How does it make me feel? He kidnapped and tortured my mother, and then he tried to use her to destroy my family. It was because of him that my mother was turned into…into…" her voice broke off.

Dumbledore was supportive. "Anna, your mother was a victim… whose only crime was unknowingly crossing Voldemort's path. He destroyed what we knew of Victoria Jennings to suit his purposes, like so many others who fell against his dreadful ambitions."

"Did you know my mother?"

He smiled. "Yes… I knew Victoria… both as a child and then as an adult. She was a beautiful woman with a very kind heart."

"How did you know her?"

"We'll leave that for another time. What matters now is the understanding that your life need not be ruined by the knowledge of these things. You now have a noble cause, far above those of us looking to choose sides in the battle to come." Anna looked at him apprehensively. "Yes Anna… I know what you are to become, and I must say… I am grateful for it. The falcon will fly again, as in the days of old."

Anna's eyes widened. "How…?"

Dumbledore smiled once more; he then stood and walked over to look out the window behind her.

"This is a magnificent school of wizard learning, and very much like my own Hogwarts. Its Chancellor and I have been friends for many, many years." He looked down his crooked nose at her once more. "Professor Thordarson sent me an owl telling me of your arrival soon after the joining ceremony last September. He understood what the coming of the Guardians meant as clear as I. Although there were several ominous signs before you came to this school, I knew then that Voldemort would soon return. The presence of another Sithmaith in the world… was surely the herald of Lord Voldemort's rebirth."

Anna looked away in disgust. "I hate him," she said, angrily. "I hate what he's done to my family."

"But… you mustn't."

Anna looked at Dumbledore with shocked surprise. "What did you say?"

"My dear… as hard as it may seem to you now, you must try to remain to the side in all of this. My arrival today was meant only to bring you the truth of Voldemort's return, and to put you and your family on guard. But you must not become entangled in this conflict. Your role, and that of your fellow Guardians, must follow the strictest code of neutrality."

"How can you say that? You can't expect me to stand by and just let Voldemort do it all over again; kill people, destroy families, take over the world."

"You must not impose yourself in this struggle, Anna. You have a larger role in the things to come, and choosing sides on the morning of battle will only set you against what brought you into existence. You are the protector of the gifts we treasure most in this world, and must work to keep the rest of us from destroying the things some of us, with a clear mind, would cherish more than our own lives."

"But I never asked for this, and I won't stand by and wait for Voldemort to destroy my family again. I won't let that happen!"

There was a pause, and when Dumbledore spoke again it was with deliberate gentleness. "Have you ever asked yourself… why you were chosen to be Sithmaith? Why you were called to be this… _bringer of peace_?"

Anna looked up at the man now looming by her bedside, his long white beard and hair reaching down below his waist. She nodded. "I've asked myself that question every day since my arrival, but I'm no closer to understanding the answer than when I first came to Castlewood. I really don't understand why this had to fall to me."

"I have… an idea," Dumbledore replied, stepping closer. "The role of Sithmaith has always taken a tremendous personal toll on those who came before you, Anna. Even Merlin, one of the greatest living sorcerers our world has ever known, struggled with his duties to magic and those due his family and friends."

Anna remembered the poem her father had read to them while at dinner with the rest of the Guardians. _And there I, their repentant leader stood, praying mercy's pardon for our inaction in the greatest times of need._

Dumbledore continued. "I believe… magic chose you because you, more than any other, had something that would give you the best chance to remain neutral in the conflict to come."

Anna looked skeptical. "I… don't understand. What is it?"

The great wizard paused, and then sat down next to her on the bed. He leaned in and whispered, "_Infractus Viscus_." He then fell back, as if Anna should understand his meaning. She frowned as he came forward once again, "Your heart… is already broken, Guardian. Your father is on one side — and your mother is on the other. Knowing this… which side would you choose?" Anna was suddenly horrified by the sobering logic of his words.

"Well… Miss Grayson, I'm afraid I must leave you now. I have many others I need to visit and to whom I must deliver my warning. I pray you find the rest you need, and I hope you stay in touch with us through your correspondence with Professor McGonagall. She sees great things in you… many great things indeed." He leaned in again. "And I've been told Professor McGonagall is a bit fussy with whom she delivers her praise." He smiled, then rose and turned to leave.

Dumbledore was halfway across the ward before Anna spoke again. "I'm not saying I won't fight him," she suddenly blurted out, and Dumbledore turned again to face her. "Voldemort, I mean. Someday, he's going to pay for what he's done."

The old man studied her and then smiled. "You know… you remind me of somebody at my own school. He too has suffered much at the hands of Voldemort. I see his fire and strength in you."

"You're speaking of the Potter boy," Anna replied knowingly, and Dumbledore grinned.

"Perhaps the two of you will some day meet." He chuckled and then turned away. "Now that would be something to see."

The door to the hospital floor suddenly opened and Chancellor Thordarson entered the room.

"Albus! You should have told me of your arrival." The Chancellor walked quickly to the Headmaster and they embraced. "It is good to see you… so very good to see you again."

"Elimar… my dear, old friend… it is good to see you too, after all of these years." They pulled apart, smiled, and then embraced again. When they finally separated, Thordarson spoke first.

"Albus… are the rumors true? Tell me… what have you heard?"

Dumbledore looked somber. "I'm afraid… it is true, my friend. He has indeed… returned."

"Are you sure, after all these years?"

"Quite sure: We have an eye witness to his rising again. Harry Potter was there."

"Harry Potter?" Thordarson looked stunned. "Of all the wizards to see him return, it could not have been a coincidence. You must tell me everything, Albus. I will notify our allies immediately. You, of course, will recall the _order_?"

"We are making contact with our friends as we speak."

"Good! And Fudge? How is he taking the news?"

"In the manner we had expected, I'm afraid," said Dumbledore, with a sigh. The Chancellor shook his head.

"I'm afraid Helen will fall in line with Fudge when the time comes. We won't find a lot of support in the things we do moving forward."

Dumbledore put a hand on Thordarson's shoulder and gripped his friend tight. "But we shall do our best with what we have, as always."

The Chancellor nodded. He smiled at Anna and then turned to guide Dumbledore to the door.

"Albus, could I ask you to wait for me in my office while I have a word with our patient. I won't be long; I promise." Dumbledore looked back at Anna and grinned.

"Of course. She is a remarkable young lady," he said, giving Anna a little wink before turning to leave. The Headmaster quietly opened the door and without looking back he said, "I'll have the tea and checkerboard waiting, Elimar."

TWO

Thordarson seemed to approach Anna cautiously before sitting down next to her on her bed. His dark, square spectacles were hiding his eyes, but Anna knew what was coming next; she didn't bother examining his intent.

"I guess you're here to kick me out, right?" she said, gloomily.

"Now why, my dear, would we do that?" Thordarson replied, amusedly.

"But… you know what I've done?"

"Well… it would seem… that you went to see your mother."

Anna lowered her head. "I… I had to see her. I know you won't understand, but…"

"Oh, but I do. Indeed… I do understand all too well." Anna stared at the Chancellor, astonished by his sympathetic attitude to her crime. She found him shaking his head. "I've been telling your father for years you should have been told the truth."

"You…knew? I mean… you've known… about my mother all these years?"

"Indeed… I did."

"And… you knew about Drogo prison being on this mountain? You mean to say… you knew everything?"

Thordarson smiled. "Ahh… youth. It never does cease to amuse me… when our students are surprised that we old fogies do have some knowledge of things. Yes… of course, I know about Drogo. I am, after all, its _Secret Keeper_."

"You? But I thought Captain Dunning… I thought he…"

"The Captain? Oh… well I suppose that _does_ make sense. But perhaps… a little dangerous considering our Crimson Guards must have their memories modified upon their end of duty there." He chuckled. "One would have to make sure things are done in the proper order when we switch the Captain's post, otherwise the prison might be placed out of hiding."

"But why you? The Chancellor of Castlewood Academy is Saint Drogo's Secret Keeper? I don't understand the connection. Why would you…?" Anna suddenly stopped. She remembered the letter she had received from Thordarson before her arrival at the school. He had signed it:

_ Yours in Highest Regards, Elimar Thordarson_

_ Professor of Wizard Law, History, and Psychological Studies_

_ Chancellor of Castlewood Academy for the Magical Arts_

"Psychological Studies?"

The Chancellor nodded. "I've been Victoria Grayson's healer for thirteen years."

Anna was stunned. "So you were the one my father said he trusted to help her. It was you who kept her in that place?"

"Yes… I'm afraid that is true."

"But… how could you do that?"

The old man looked at her sympathetically. "Because I was her physician, and because I understand the healing difference between giving my patients what they want… and providing them what they need."

"Are you saying she needed to be in that place?"

"Yes."

"My mother didn't deserve to be in Drogo!"

Professor Thordarson paused briefly and then shook his head. "Nobody ever said Victoria Grayson deserved to be in a prison. But… it was, however unfortunate, necessary to keep her from being continually abused by those who were still looking to Voldemort's return. That… and freeing a vampire knowingly with murderous intentions would be a crime on our part. Although it pained me greatly to keep her isolated and out of harm's way, Voldemort's curse left us with very few options."

"I can't believe my father let you do that."

"Your father came to understand what had to be done, but it wasn't easy for him to come to that conclusion. He truly loved your mother."

Anna looked away, seething. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

"What do you mean, my dear?"

She glared at him, trying to remain calm. "I wish you wouldn't talk… like my mother no longer existed. There's been too much of that in my life already."

The old wizard thought for a moment and then nodded introspectively. "Forgive me. You are right, of course. Your mother deserves better than our inane assumptions of her passing. Her condition is much more complicated than that."

At these words, Anna felt a brief moment of understanding on the Chancellor's part. Although Victoria was sick, and would probably be considered a murderer by most, she was also a victim, somebody who deserved some form of respect for the person she once was, before the time of Voldemort's intervention in her life. She studied Thordarson's pained expression and could see the sympathy was real, his apology genuine. Setting aside her anger for the sake of her curiosity, Anna straightened.

"I have to ask you something about the way my mother was acting."

Thordarson looked surprised. "Of course. In fact, your interpretation of Victoria's behavior would be of great interest to me. For your mother's sake… please… I ask you to share your observations."

Anna took a moment to think. "Well, first… it was the way she described some of her feelings; her dreams of hunting in the woods, her hunger and cravings. Sometimes it felt like… I almost understood her too well. It was like… it all seemed too…" she hesitated.

"Familiar?" Thordarson suggested, and Anna looked up in surprise.

"Exactly. Yes… that's exactly right."

The lines in Thordarson's forehead seemed to deepen, as though his mind had retreated to a more private place in which to think. He then nodded. "Vampires are very powerful magical creatures, whose nature is that of a hunter. They consume blood, not entirely to exist, mind you, but they do need it in some limited form to survive. There are many vampires that live normal, productive lives in wizard society, because they have learned to control the nature of their bloodlust. With time and self control, they can become very skilled at taking advantage of the limited magic available to help them control these cravings."

"But I still don't understand: Why would my mother affect me the way she did?"

Thordarson leaned in. "I believe it begins with your being what the Mirror of Enlightenment called, the Sithmaith. Although very little is known about this entity, we do know it has a strong and unusual connection with magic. This connection also exists with many animals, but especially with magical creatures. When you come into contact with these creatures, you create something of a bond with them. They want to be near you and you to them. You have knowledge of the things that make them unique; you share their feelings and even some of their thoughts. In time, you may even join in something of a symbioticrelationship with them."

Anna thought for a moment. "I think I do share a connection with some things," and she told Thordarson the stories Eric had shared with her, of her playing with the wild animals around the Grayson estate when she was a child, and of her own experiences with the fish and the birds long before receiving her letter from Castlewood.

"Yes…" Thordarson said, agreeably. "I am convinced you have come into contact with many creatures you have unknowingly adopted in your heart. You have a strong understanding of their nature, which allows you touch them in a very special way and in some cases… even take on their physical form."

Anna stared at him. "You're talking about the Lethifold… aren't you?"

"Indeed… I am. I believe you have a strong link with this creature because you came into contact with it at a very young age… and because it is highly magical."

"The Lethifold didn't try to kill me when I was a child because…" she stopped to think.

"Because it recognized you for who and what you were even as a child. Even at a very young age… you were Sithmaith. You… were its protector."

"And that's why you think I can change into this creature, because I'm supposed to be this Guardian?"

"I believe so… but I also believe there's much more to it than that. You see… the more you understand the nature of a creature, grasp the essence of its spirit, its feelings and the things that drive it… the more you're able to emote its inner characteristics and then project them outward. It would seem this is especially true when your emotions align subconsciously with the creature at any given moment. In the case of the Lethifold… I suppose this would include a high degree of anger, which drives you to take on its physical form."

"No… its not anger…" Anna replied, correcting him, "its coldness." Thordarson looked enthralled by this statement, so Anna continued. "The Lethifold doesn't really think," she said, gazing down into her blankets, "it's much more basic than that. It moves on pure instinct, a stalker of living things… and its insides are horribly cold." She stopped to check her thoughts, and she could feel a spark of icy blackness in her chest as she spoke of it. "I think… when my anger reaches the point… when I'm looking for revenge… that's the kind of deep coldness that brings it on."

Thordarson looked at her with absorbed wonder. "Amazing," he whispered. "I think we have just learned more about the Lethifold's nature in the last few seconds than in all the centuries we've known of its existence." He chuckled lightly. "It gives a whole new meaning to having one's blood run cold, don't you think?"

Anna looked uneasy, but nodded. "It isn't that way anymore, though," she added quickly, trying to sound upbeat. "I don't have to feel enraged to change now; I can pretty much transform into the Lethifold whenever I wish." She settled back to think.

"But, there's something I don't understand, Professor. You told me once that I was the first witch or wizard ever known to have changed into a magical creature. If Merlin was the last Sithmaith, why couldn't he do it? And why haven't I changed into other creatures that I've come into contract with?"

"Are you sure you haven't?"

Anna gaped at him. "Of course I'm sure. I think I would have known if I'd changed into something else."

Professor Thordarson surveyed her. He then tilted his head back as if to bring forth into his mind a distant memory. "I seem to recall your first day in the dueling pit, when our good captain put you against his sister."

"You saw that?" Anna said, looking surprised.

"Yes… I was there." He smiled coyly, and then again looked apologetic. "I must confess, I'm not in the habit of announcing my arrival at every event in which I participate." He sighed heavily. "I don't like them making a fuss over me all the time. It gets to be all so… formal." He leaned forward and grinned. "Not to mention… a little bit embarrassing." He gave her a wink, and Anna smiled. He tipped back and continued.

"Yes… that was quite a day for you, wasn't it? I was especially impressed with your movements over the sand, and your almost super-human ability to evade several incoming spells at near pointblank range. If I may, you almost seemed… cat-like to me."

Anna stared at him as her mind raced back to that day in the pit. She remembered how slow Debbie Dunning seemed to her at the time, the excitement at seeing Debbie's blood in the sand, and the thrill of raising the killing blow. She remembered her dream of attacking Damon with massive, clawed paws when he was torturing Widwick, and raising the same lethal weapons against the Muggle whom she had found in the Shadowed Forest. She recalled seeing the horrible black claws embedded in her own hand that night, and tried to image what her face must have looked like when Thordarson interrupted her.

"Do you still believe there are no other creatures with whom you share a strong connection?" he said, peering over his glasses at her.

Anna looked up and shrugged. "Perhaps… but that still doesn't explain why I felt the way I did when I was with my mother."

"Isn't it obvious?" Thordarson replied, seemingly surprised at Anna's inability to make the connection. "You were in contact with a vampire once before… and at a very early age."

His statement astounded Anna. "What? When? Are… are you sure?"

"Quite sure. In fact, I believe it was this contact that… what was it you said the Mirror of Enlightenment told you? Oh yes… it was that contact that _altered you_ from what was intended at your birth."

"I don't understand. How could I have come in contact with another vampire?"

"Actually… I believe you came into contact with two vampires before you were born. The first was the vampire that attacked your mother while you were still in her womb, and the second… was your own mother just before you were born."

Anna was stunned, too stunned to immediately reply. After a long moment, she could only mutter, "I don't understand…"

Thordarson reached out and touched her hand. "I know your father already told you that you were saved from prenatal death in the minutes following your mother's passing. I believe it was then you came into contact with the second vampire. It happened during your mother's own rebirth as the creature she would become." Anna looked horrified as Thordarson leaned back.

"Two occurrences of direct contact with vampires before you took your first breath. How that changed you from what magic had intended will only be answered in the years to come, when you begin to take more seriously your duties as the leader of the new Guardians."

Anna had a terrifying thought. "Hold on. The mirror told me the _evil one_ had somehow altered my birth from what was expected. But I now know the evil one and my mother… are the same person. So was it the vampire that altered me or Voldemort's curse on my mother?"

Once again Thordarson looked sympathetic. "Your mother's dissociative identity and vampirism are not unconnected or incompatible, and they certainly were not separate when you were born. They are coexistent parts of the same person. As such, your question is indeed a valid one. I can only offer you my opinion that it was your physical contact with the vampire that altered you, and made you something different from what we saw in Merlin and the other Sithmaiths that came before him.

"Your familiarity with the vampire Victoria inside Drogo prison came from your past contact with her. The process magic uses to create the Sithmaith might have been tainted slightly by the terrible events of your birth, but it also made you quite unique in wizard history, giving you the ability to do things, before now, we would never have believed possible."

Anna thought. "She kept calling me, _my kind_," she said somberly, looking up at him.

Thordarson nodded. "Victoria undoubtedly must have sensed you were another vampire when you entered her room. I'm afraid the power of these creatures is not as well documented as many of us would like, but it's probably what kept her from immediately attacking you when you first entered her cell."

The great wizard finally fell back satisfied he had given his views to the best of his ability. "I'm afraid we are headed for very difficult times now that Lord Voldemort has returned. You and the rest of the Guardians will have your work cut out for you."

"I suppose…" Anna replied numbly. "If, that is, we can sustain the Union at all."

The Chancellor smiled at her. "Faith," he said, patting her hand. "We still have two more days. You never know what a new day will bring. He peeked down at her again over his dark glasses. "I should think you would be more concerned about your relationship with your father."

Anna frowned, and Thordarson smiled again. "Boris told me about your unscheduled trip back home. Apparition for one so young is quite an accomplishment, but to Apparate from the dungeons of Drogo and then travel three thousand miles through all the barriers your father uses to protect the Grayson estate… is utterly astounding." He paused to think. "Although I doubt I could stop you from Apparating on the plateau entirely, I would ask that you not do it again in public. We do so enjoy the facade of security here." He grinned at her again.

"I have explained what happened when you arrived outside the stadium with you injuries by saying I myself found you in the forest and then sent you back to the plateau." His head teetered side to side. "The story won't satisfy everybody who saw you suddenly appear, but… if you'll agree to keep silent about what you remember… I believe my embroidery of the facts should do nicely."

"Ah… okay. I mean… yes, sir," Anna agreed, remembering her father's reaction at seeing her at the Grayson house.

"Your father was quite distressed when I informed him of your return to Castlewood, and about the seriousness of your injuries. He's been by your side day and night since his arrival."

Anna smirked. "I still can't believe he didn't tell me the truth," she said, folding her arms angrily.

Thordarson nodded. "Your father wanted to shield you from the painful details concerning your mother's condition. I should think any father would do the same."

"But you told him to be honest with me."

"Yes… I did. But I've never had the privilege of a wife or the blessings of children. What does a simple old man like me truly know of such things?"

"I don't know either," Anna replied furiously. "I thought I did, but now… I don't know…" She lay back down in her bed, her emotions a knot of anger and doubt.

"I will say this," Thordarson continued, "I have lived a very long time, and in all my years I have rarely witnessed a truer love than that of your parents. You should never doubt this, Anna. Through all the trials and the things of evil working against them, their love was indeed a wonderful thing to witness.

Anna started to sob and then covered her face with her injured hand. "I don't know," she moaned, and Thordarson smiled.

"In time," he said softly, "I believe… you will." He looked quickly to the side as if hearing something behind him. He then turned to face Anna again.

"In the meantime… I must ask you what you know… of Leola Grayson's death."

Once again, Anna was taken completely by surprise. "Leola?" The Chancellor stared at her with a strange, prying gaze, and Anna could see the truth in the old wizard's eyes. "You… you know what happened to her, don't you?"

The old wizard settled back. "It is important that we understand each other implicitly before I ramble on and break my oath of healer-patient privilege."

Anna understood. She too felt an obligation not to say anything about the death of her father's first wife. She promised the ally she wouldn't tell anyone. She decided to take a chance.

"Some have suggested…" Anna whispered, smoothing the bandages mindlessly on her arm, "that Leola's death wasn't an accident." Her eyes immediately met his, looking for a response. The Chancellor dipped his head.

"Your mother told you, then," he said, mournfully. He looked up at her again. "Anna… I can only offer you my medical opinion that it would serve no good purpose to reveal what your mother did while under Voldemort's curse… especially to your father. He already blames himself far too much for many things not of his doing. Boris doesn't know Victoria was the cause of Leola's death and the details of that crime would only add to his pain. If ever she's given the opportunity, Victoria should explain her actions to Boris herself."

Anna was struck by an uneasy twinge of irony. She was now keeping a secret from her father in much the same way he had done when it came to the truth about her mother. Thinking only of her promise to the ally, Anna agreed.

"Good," Thordarson said, smiling. "Very good: It is not our place to reveal such things without permission, or the proper means for healing." He suddenly glanced again at the door behind him.

"Right now… our time together is running short, and we need to discuss what we're going to tell Captain Dunning."

"Dunning?" Anna said, jerking up.

"Yes… the captain is on his way presently, and he intends to question you about an escape at Drogo prison last night." Anna scrunched down into her blankets looking terrified.

"I'm dead," she mumbled through her covers.

"Yes… I'm afraid our Captain is quite convinced of your culpability," Thordarson said, raising his eyebrows.

"He's been trying to kick me out of Castlewood since the day I arrived. I guess he'll have his way this time."

Thordarson grinned knowingly and then straightened. "Now that we know about Voldemort's return, it is most important the Guardians be given the chance to finish what they started here last September, and I doubt that can happen without you." He stared at Anna looking for her agreement.

"But… what should I do? The captain will surely expel me when he…" Thordarson held up a hand to stop her.

"Your father and I think it best that you disavow any knowledge of what might have happened at Drogo two nights ago."

Anna stared at the man, disbelieving what she was hearing. Was the Chancellor of Castlewood asking her to lie to his own Captain of the Guard?

"Don't be so surprised, my dear. It would not be in the Guardians' best interest if you, their leader, were arrested."

"But my mother escaped; she'll return to Voldemort, and…"

"If I had released her to your father's care, she would have returned to Voldemort anyway."

"But she's a murderer, it's my fault she's free."

"Did you know this before you went to Drogo?" Anna fell silent. "Did you understand her condition before you flew that marvelous steed over the mountains to find her? No, Anna, you did not. Your only crime was in wanting to see your mother. If there was a crime here, it is shared by your father and myself. We should have known you would eventually learn the truth once you arrived at Castlewood. With those extraordinary abilities of yours… it was only a matter of time. We should have taken extra precautions to insure you would never find Drogo."

"I think you're making excuses for me, Professor, and I can't let you take responsibility for what I've done."

"My dear, you have your whole life to make up for an understandable mistake. I say again… the fault must be shared by us all." Anna tried to argue.

"It… is… settled, Anna." She fell silent as the man looked behind him again.

"There is little time, the captain is almost here. So, as accomplices to these misdeeds, we must… as the criminal element commonly like to say… get-our-stories-straight. You will admit to nothing. You were attacked while preparing your mount for the last Vollucross race by a creature unknown and dragged into the forest. You awoke later on the plateau — you remember nothing more."

"But…"

"Nothing… more!" Anna pulled her covers over her nose… and then nodded.

"Good. Your father and I are working on a plan to recapture Victoria Grayson. You will leave her to us." He stood, looked at the door to the hospital floor again, and then turned sharply to her once more.

"Oh… and one more thing. You should know there was a death at the prison the night you were there; one of the prisoners was murdered." Anna bolted up straight.

"What? Oh — no. Did my mother…"

Thordarson raised a hand again to stop her. "No — no. This was not Victoria's doing. She was already gone when it happened. We are not exactly sure what happened yet, but in the confusion and panic of things at the prison, one of the prisoners was murdered by a second who then later also escaped. We are certain the escapee will be apprehended in the forests surrounding Drogo shortly. I just didn't want you surprised by this news if the captain were to mention it."

Suddenly, the door to the hospital floor flew open and Captain Dunning swept into the room, his pace slowing somewhat at seeing the Chancellor standing next to Anna's bed.

"Professor Thordarson… I didn't realize you were here, sir. I saw the Headmaster of Hogwarts entering your office and he told me the prisoner was awake." Anna cringed at Dunning's words. Thankfully, they did not go unnoticed by the Chancellor.

"The prisoner, Captain? Surely, we should at least give our student a chance to explain herself before we put her in chains."

The captain looked bemused, but recovered quickly. "Yes… of course, sir. I didn't mean to suggest…"

"You will find our patient ready to answer all of your questions now, Captain."

Dunning was surprised. "I… hope that doesn't mean you've already been questioning her, sir. Protocol demands the presence of a Crimson Guard whenever a prisoner… I mean… a witness to a crime makes any statement to the facts."

"Are my inquiries as to the health of one of my students also forbidden?"

Dunning hesitated. "Of course not, sir. My apologies… forgive me."

"Oh please, Captain. No offense was taken. I will leave Miss Grayson in your gentle care. Ah, Doctor… good… I'm glad you're here."

Doctor Pearl entered the floor, bustling forward with a tray of food at her waist. She sat the tray on the table next to Anna's bed and then looked down at her.

"There she is…" Pearl sang happily. "I see our little patient is finally awake. How do you feel, my dear," she said grandmotherly, and Anna could see Captain Dunning rolling his eyes behind her.

"I think… I'm okay," Anna said, weakly.

"Doctor," the captain interrupted, and Anna could see the muscles in Pearl's jaw tighten as she raised a hand to feel her forehead, "I need to question this student on a very important security matter."

"In good time, Captain," Pearl replied with a sneer, not bothering to look back.

Thordarson stepped forward. "I'm afraid this cannot wait, Margaret," he said directly, and to the captain's immense satisfaction. "But would you stay with Anna after the captain has finished asking his questions and until her father returns to her bedside?"

"Of course." Pearl replied. She looked at Dunning. "You will call me when you've finished, then?" The captain nodded as he turned to draw himself nearer to Anna's bed. "Oh… and Captain Dunning," said Pearl, calling his attention back again. "I would ask that you not upset my patient. There are still some risks to her condition that concern me."

"I'll do what I can… given her… uhh… delicate state," Dunning replied, not bothering to hide his cynical tone.

"Very good," said Thordarson. "Well… I have a guest waiting for me in my office, so I will take my leave of you all. Miss Grayson, I will notify your family that you have awakened. Doctor, I would like a report on her status at the end of the day."

"Of course, sir."

"And Captain… I would like to see your report on the matters we discussed by tomorrow morning."

"You will have it, Chancellor," Dunning said, turning to face Anna. "And I assure you… it will be a full report of the facts."

"Excellent. Then I won't keep Albus waiting any longer. Good day to you all." The Chancellor then turned and left the hospital floor.

Doctor Pearl gave Anna another potion that stank of rotting earth and garlic. It turned the veins under her skin black before fading. She then raised the head of Anna's bed and shoved the tray of food under her chin with a single order to its purpose.

"Eat!" she barked threateningly, before turning to face Dunning. "Call me when you've finished, Captain."

After gathering his nod, Doctor Pearl left the ward, leaving Anna swirling her soup and the captain staring out the window behind her.

The tension in the air was heavy as Dunning listened for the doctor's door to close. Anna wanted to scream out to her, _Don't leave me with him_; _there's no telling what he'll do if you…_ the doctor's office door opened and then closed, rattling the pane of glass in its center.

THREE

There was a moment of stillness, and then, "So… what are we to do with you now?" Dunning said, gazing out the window behind her. Anna didn't reply. The captain turned. "Nothing to say for yourself?" She remained silent as Dunning walked to the foot of her bed. "Look at me," he growled, and Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet his.

"You… are out of here; out of this bed, out of this school… and off this mountain. The only thing left to decide is whether or not you will be arrested for your crimes." Anna returned to her soup as Dunning began to pace back and forth across the foot of her bed, his hands gripped tightly behind his back.

"You only have one chance to avoid being arrested when I leave his ward." He suddenly turned, grabbed the foot posts on the metal bed, and yanked her attention straight. "Are you listening to me?" The soup slopped over its rim and spilled out onto the tray.

"I hear you…" Anna replied. Still, unwilling to look at him.

"I want to know how you did it. How did you get into the dungeons of Drogo? How did you break into my prison?"

Anna picked up the napkin next to her plate and began mopping the spilled soup. "I wasn't there," she replied calmly.

"DON'T YOU DARE… LIE TO ME!" he yelled, and Anna flinched. "Tell me how you did it. Tell me now… or your arrest will come before your expulsion!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anna said, her own voice rising.

"You… were seen!"

At this, Anna couldn't contain her surprise. Was it possible someone had seen her, perhaps a guard? Her stomach began to twist. Was he lying, trying to get her to admit the truth? She tried to hide her emotions, keeping her face as void of tension as possible.

"We have the testimony from one of the prisoners, a woman who said a young girl with red hair stopped to talk with her in the sanatorium ward," the captain sneered. "That evidence has been corroborated by the testimony of another prisoner who saw you walking by his cell three floors down — later the same night. So don't continue to lie and say you were not there. That would only put you in very serious…"

"I wasn't there," Anna growled.

It occurred to Anna that if Dunning had any real proof she had been to Drogo, he wouldn't be talking to her now; he would have already arrested her. The testimony of two prisoners, especially one in a sanatorium and one that believed himself to be a dragon, would be worth nothing. Anna looked straight into Dunning eyes; she could feel his intentions oozing out of his soul like an infection from an open wound. He was trying to bait her into admitting the truth.

"You're not going to force me to admit I broke into your prison," she said, determinedly.

"You mean you won't tell me the truth! I'll give you one more chance to tell me how you did it, and you have my word you won't be arrested. You'll be sent home with your family, and ordered not to return."

"Then I guess you'll have to arrest me, Captain, because you'll never hear me say I was at Drogo. I was attacked while preparing my mount outside Vollucross stadium. Whatever attacked me dragged me into the forest. That's all I can tell you… because that's all I remember." With that, Anna went back to sipping her soup.

Captain Dunning moved quickly. Taking the tray from her lap, he slammed it onto the bedside table. "You will tell me what I want to know or I swear I'll have you in irons. No student, least of all a Grayson, is going to make a fool out of me. How did you do it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"HOW?"

"I wasn't there!"

"Liar! There were two prisoners held in separate rooms near your mother; one of them was a man named Reginald Carter. The spell that took the door off Victoria Grayson's cell also started the fires that lead to the murder of a second prisoner by Carter, who later escaped."

Anna was stunned. Although Professor Thordarson had warned her of the prisoner's death, Dunning was making it sound like she had ultimately caused it to happen. _What if he was right?_ She tried to remain calm.

"I wasn't there," she lied, remembering what must have been the murdered prisoner's gentle voice speaking to the other man in the cell next to him; the murderer he called Reggie.

Dunning straightened. "So… this is what you call _honor_, lying about the loss of another man's life? Taking no responsibility for your actions? You were there, and your actions were responsible for a man's death and two escapes. Who knows how many other lives will now be lost due to your interference?"

"Interference?" Anna seethed. "My mother shouldn't have been locked in that place to begin with,"

Dunning smiled shrewdly. "I thought you said you weren't there?" His face then turned cold. "She was exactly where creatures like that should be… locked in a cage."

Anna fumed. "You're disgusting! My mother is not a creature. She's a living-breathing, human being!"

"Only somebody as naive as you would call a vampire… human. She's a vicious," he took a step toward her, "murdering," he took another step and leaned down into her face, "blood-sucking… monster." Anna glared angrily at him; it was taking all her strength to remain calm.

"And when my men locate her in the forest surrounding Drogo, I hope she puts up a fight, because that will the last moment of her miserable life."

"You won't find her in these mountains… so your threats are pointless," Anna snarled back at him.

Dunning's eyebrows raised. "And how would you know that? For somebody who doesn't know what I'm talking about, you certainly seem confident in your opinion that your mother is no longer around here. Perhaps I should send an owl to the Ministry and get the _Gamot_ to give me permission to search the Grayson estate? Maybe I'll catch your father harboring an escaped fugitive when I arrive."

Anna glowered at him, shaking her head derisively. "Do you really believe my father would allow that to happen?" She stared at Dunning and purposely tried to sound smug, knowing what would entice his anger further. "Even if it was true, and my father did decide to keep by mother hidden, you would never get the Ministry's permission to search our house." Anna glowered evilly at him. "As important as you think you are, you don't have that kind of power, Dunning."

At these words, Captain Dunning had reached the limit of his control. He swept quickly around the foot of the bed and approached Anna from the side. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her straight up, knocking the tray of food to the floor with a clatter.

"Tell me how you entered Drogo!" he yelled, shaking her. Anna's head snapped back, and suddenly the terrible pain in her neck was back. Painted colors exploded in her brain as a bleached fog almost pushed her into unconsciousness.

"Tell me you were there, or I swear you will regret it!"

Anna's neck snapped back again and another series of pops and sparks exploded behind her closed eyelids. And then, from a deepest part of Anna's core, an incredible anger suddenly rushed forth. Her body went rigid and her head shot forward at her attacker, the outer shell that once was Anna Grayson reshaping itself into blazing rage. Anna roared into Dunning's face, and the heat of her madness flew into him like a blow to the skull.

The captain was now holding her away in shocked surprise. He could see the snarling teeth, the eyes glaring at him changing from green to deadly amber, her pupils stretching and elongating vertically like that of a deadly cat.

"What the hell… are you?" he stammered, his arms stretching out like a man anticipating something dreadful about to explode in his hands. She didn't answer him, but he could feel the rumble of her growls reverberating through every bone of his body.

"Put her down!"

Dunning and Anna looked to the entrance of the hospital floor and saw Mister Grayson filling the open doorway; the rest of the Grayson family was looking over his shoulder behind him. Tencha was covering her mouth in apparent shock at what they were seeing. Mister Grayson stepped into the room.

"Get your filthy hands off of my daughter!"

Dunning was immediately taken aback at being caught so easily. He recovered quickly, however, and turned to look at Anna again. Her eyes had returned to normal.

"NOW!" screamed Mister Grayson, who stepped forward again and pulled out his wand. Eric and Damon immediately moved to their father's side and drew their wands as well.

Dunning smirked, and then slowly lowered Anna onto the bed where she quickly pulled her blankets over her shoulders and rolled away from him.

"Get out of here, Dunning!" Mister Grayson demanded, now taking aim with his wand as the captain turned to face him.

"You are not the master of this castle, Grayson. I have the ultimate authority here."

"And does that authority extend itself to grabbing and physically abusing the children of this school?"

Dunning glared at him. "In fact — it does. For the crimes your daughter has committed, I could put her in dungeon chains."

"What are you talking about?" Dowla blistered. "Anna's done nothing wrong."

Mister Grayson and Eric looked at each other and then lowered their wands together.

"Eric — take the children outside. I wish to speak to the captain in private."

"Yes, sir," Eric replied quickly, motioning the other children toward the door.

"Father… we should stay here with you," Damon said, still pointing his wand at Dunning. "You can't trust him."

Mister Grayson reached out and pushed Damon's wand down. "Go with your brother, son. I'll handle this." Damon and the girls reluctantly headed out the door before their father grabbed Eric by the arm.

"Make sure they're far enough away so they can't hear us," he whispered, nodding toward his brother and sisters.

"I understand, father," Eric replied knowingly, and Mister Grayson watched them walk down the corridor before turning to close the door. He then walked to Anna's bed.

"Dunning… if there was ever a man more derelict in his duty than you, I swear I've never met him," Mister Grayson said, staring at his daughter lying in the bed. She wasn't looking at him.

"You, sir, have a lot of gall accusing me of…" Dunning started to say, but Mister Grayson cut him off.

"You have a lot of failings, Captain. Most of which could be set aside by the discovery of compassion on your part. I like to think of myself as a fair and compassionate man as well, but if you ever put your hands on a member of my family again… you won't live long enough to regret it. Do you understand?" Mister Grayson was still staring at Anna's back.

Dunning turned on him, seething with rage. "I don't believe you have the…"

"Do YOU… UNDERSTAND ME?" Mister Grayson yelled, now turning to face Dunning fully. Anna recoiled under her blankets before curling tighter into a ball away from them.

Dunning fell silent as the two stared at each other, each sizing up the man within the other. It was Dunning who first broke their locked gaze with a coy smile.

"Anytime you feel you have the ambition and skill to duel with me, Grayson, I welcome your challenge. In fact, you can't imagine how many times I've longed for a chance to knock you down a few pegs. You have no idea what you're dealing with in me, sir."

"Oh… that's where you would be wrong, Captain Dunning. I know exactly what you are and how you came to be. Your career has been most impressive, but it _has_ come at the expense of several others who made the mistake of getting in ambition's way.

"In a lot of ways, you and I are very similar. You have some talent; some skill and intelligence that many believe make you formidable. But what you lack is an understanding of the things moving covertly around you. You see… I know why you hate my family, Dunning. You believe that with riches comes a level of uncontrollable power. You see that power manipulated to the personal needs of many of the well-known wizarding families whose children come into this school. I've seen your kind many times before, Captain. Your insipid resentment and jealousies are without cause… and offensive to me. You are unrestricted in your actions and unreserved. You have no moral code rooted to any defined path. In short: you, sir, have no honor."

The veins in Dunning's neck were thick with rage. "How dare you presume to lecture me of a man's honor? You, of all people, would define for _me_ a man's deepest principles? I question this honor you clam as your own, Grayson: You who would try to hide your wife in a prison."

"You know only what you saw of my wife in that dungeon you kept her in, and nothing more. Had I known you had taken it upon yourself to work out your envious hate on my family… by placing Victoria in the dungeon hall without my permission, I would have had you removed from Drogo long before now."

"Victoria Grayson is a dangerous lunatic… a soulless animal. She… is a vampire," Dunning spat.

"My wife… was a victim," Mister Grayson growled back under his breath. "She did not choose to be what she has become. But you, and so many like you, would punish her just because life's cruelest shadows darkened her door. Victoria was sent to Drogo for help, not to be abused by the likes of somebody like you."

"She will be captured again and returned to the dungeon where she and those like her belong," Dunning snarled back, derisively.

"That's… where you would be wrong, Captain. My wife will never again fall under your absent care. You have proven your ineptitude to keep her safe, and you have lost sight as to the reason she was put in your control. You have failed at your post, sir; and if I have my way… you are soon to be relieved."

"It was your daughter that set her free!"

Mister Grayson stared at him. He then turned to walk to the foot of Anna's bed, thinking as he went. He finally looked up. "And how did she accomplish this wondrous feat? I didn't realize visiting hours extended themselves into the evenings at Drogo… or to the dungeons."

"They don't!" Dunning spat.

"Then how could Anna have been there? Tell me, Captain… how could a thirteen-year-old student break into Saint Drogo's prison under your watchful guard, make her way down to the lowest levels unseen, enter a locked and enchanted door, and then release my wife? How did she get out without being seen while you were searching for two escaped prisoners?"

Dunning's face changed to an ugly shade of puce. He struggled to remain composed as he gritted his reply through tightly clinched teeth. "I don't know how she did it. I only know she was there. You've seen the injuries to her neck. We both know what caused those wounds."

"That has yet to be determined," Mister Grayson said, coolly.

"She helped that creature to escape! And she's going to pay for her crimes," Dunning shouted, angrily.

"Do not think you can blame your failures on my daughter," Mister Grayson fired back. "You have no proof Anna was there, no explanation as to how she might have gotten inside the prison, or how she would have helped my wife to escape. How would she have gotten away from Drogo and back to the plateau with injuries such as these? You have only yourself to blame for your failings, Dunning, and I'm going to see to it that you pay dearly for your cruelty and ineptitude."

Dunning angrily stepped forward. "I don't know how she did these things, but she did; make no mistake, I know that she did. She's a freak, an abomination that should be locked in a cage with her mother! I only hope that I'm the one who can someday show the world what she is, what all you Graysons really are!" Mister Grayson moved so quickly it took Dunning completely by surprise.

WHAM!

The fisted blow laid into Dunning's jaw sent him sprawling to the floor. Anna bolted upright in her bed in time to see Dunning reaching into his robes.

"On your feet, Dunning. I'm not finished with you!" Mister Grayson growled down at him.

Dunning was rubbing his jaw with one hand and pointing his wand with the other. "You're under arrest, Grayson."

"I said get up!"

"Turn around!" said the captain threateningly, pushing himself up to stand again.

"Get out of here, Dunning. And if I ever hear you mock my family again, or see you put another hand on one of my children, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"I said you're under arrest. Now turn around!"

"Go to hell…"

"Stop it!" Anna screamed. "Both of you… please… just go! Leave me alone…"

Anna could see Captain Dunning's fury blooming on his face like a boil ready to explode, but she didn't care. She fell back into her bed and turned away from them again.

Her father stepped forward. "I'll make you a deal, Dunning. You will resign your post, effective immediately. If you do this, I promise not to seek personal reparations for your failings and brutality on my wife at that prison of yours," he said, furiously.

Captain Dunning sneered at him. "Seeking your unwarranted vengeance on me would only bring to light the truth about your wife. I doubt you would do that," he said, still pointing his wand.

Mister Grayson thought. For too long a time he had been keeping the secret about his wife to himself, trying to hide something terrible about his family from the rest of the Wizarding world. He stared at Dunning with disgust in his eyes. He knew the captain was right about one thing; keeping this kind of secret does put a man's honor into question.

"So be it," Mister Grayson seethed. "Mind you… I still believe I was working to keep my family safe while giving my wife the best chance at a full recovery. If it means telling my story in public to see you properly punished… I can live with that."

For the first time since he had entered the hospital floor, Dunning looked uncertain of his position, and he suddenly realized he had misjudged the man standing before him. He knew Boris Grayson was a very powerful individual; as much as Dunning tried ignoring this fact, there was no denying it. Anna's father had many powerful friends inside the Ministry, all over the world. If such a man as he were to throw his privacy and honor on the coals of public ridicule just to have his revenge, Dunning knew he would have no place to go. He would be ruined.

The captain slowly lowered his wand. He had no proof of Anna's involvement in the escapes at the prison under his care. In fact, Dunning always knew he would never be allowed to speak of it in public anyway, even if he could prove Anna was there and responsible for the escape of her mother. Doing so would reveal Drogo's location to the world and the Ministry would never allow that to happen. He stared at Boris Grayson with a sinister loathing that carried with it several unspoken curses.

"So… I resign my post and you keep all your little secrets intact. That hardly seems equitable," Dunning complained.

Mister Grayson glared at the man. "My wife is a very sick person, Captain. I know you can't understand that, because you only know what you saw in that cell you kept her in. You were never told Victoria's story, of the attack on her person, the torture she had to endure, and then the madness that finally sent her to prison. Those facts were kept from you and revealed only to her healer." He stepped closer to Dunning, his anger rising higher. "You have no idea of the danger you've now put my family in. You talk of equity? Trust me… giving me your neck under a sword wouldn't be equitable to me now."

Dunning looked skeptical at Mister Grayson's words, but decided. "I will inform the Chancellor of my decision regarding my station before you leave Spellsburg," he said, coldly. He then glared down at Anna lying in the bed facing away from him and then turned and headed for the door. He grabbed the latch and yanked the door open before looking back.

"Either way, sir… _my_ honor remains intact. Can you honestly say the same?" He left, slamming the door behind him with a bang.

Mister Grayson stood gazing at the closed door across the ward, realizing with some trepidation that the captain was probably right. He turned to look at his daughter hiding under her blankets.

"Anna?" he said, tenderly. She wouldn't look at him, she didn't move. "Please, Anna, we need to talk about this."

FOUR

Of all the people Anna had seen this day, it was her father she was dreading the most. Her unexpected trip home had exposed the huge gap - open like an infected sore between them. Her father was now here to face her, to explain his part in the lie that was her mother's death.

"Go… away," she said, still hiding herself. "I don't want to see you," she hollered through her bedding.

"Anna… you don't understand. You can't imagine what it was like to watch the one you love die and then come back as that creature."

"Go away! I don't want to talk about it."

"We have to talk about it, Anna. We can't ignore this."

"Why not? You've been ignoring it for years. You lied to me!" Anna replied, still hiding under her blankets.

"I didn't lie to you."

She suddenly threw the blankets back to glare up at him. "You did! You told me my mother died. She's not dead."

"But she did die, Anna. Or at least that's how the Wizarding world describes what happened to her. Becoming a vampire is a highly magical process that wizards and witches go through when fed upon by another vampire to the point of death. It's not a death in the traditional sense, no, but the change is so drastic that many wizards who go through it are barely recognizable after they cross over. And the bloodlust can be overwhelming for them, to the point where most can't even function as the person they once were."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Anna hollered. "Was it because the family squib was too fragile to handle the truth? Was that it?"

"No…"

"Then… why?"

Mister Grayson looked away, and for the first time in Anna's life she thought she saw doubt forming in her father's eyes. After a time he appeared to be gathering himself; he looked humble, and seemed on the verge of sharing something he had been practicing his entire life to deliver.

"Your mother and I loved each other so much, Anna. It was the kind of love that was truly rare in this world. It starts out as a perfect friendship where children grow up together, play together; her parents were like my own. We worked together, studied together — shared our personal relationships with each other, but through it all we were the best kind of friends; those that stay side by side through thick and thin, sharing our deepest feelings and passions with one another.

"And then, one day, I came to realize that Victoria meant more to me than my own life." He turned to look at Anna. "And when that happens, the love realized is heaven sent." He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed and she cringed at his wanting to be close.

"I was a fool not to have seen my love for Victoria earlier in my life. I wish I had, especially after your mother told me she had loved me for so long." He smiled. "I was shocked by that. There I was, trying to find a way to tell her the way I felt, that something in our relationship had changed… that I loved her, and she responded so lovingly… so understandingly. How could I have been so blind to her feelings for me? I held her in my arms so many times before that day … but never as close as the night she told me how she really felt.

"I didn't know at that time what Voldemort had done to her, and I'll always hate him for what he did to your mother and our family. He took Victoria, tortured her — shattered her mind, and then set her against those she loved most in the world. What kind of evil is capable of such atrocities?" He reached out to take Anna's hand, but she pulled away.

"How could I tell you these things, Anna? How does a father tell his daughter of the greatest evil once brought to their door?"

He stood again. "After your mother was placed in Drogo, I asked Professor Thordarson to do what he could to help her, but what was left of Victoria was so fragile and her mind too badly damaged to recover from Voldemort's limitless cruelty. After her transformation into the vampire, her guilt and bloodlust were too much to allow for any kind of a healing process to occur. We tried everything, but her psyche was badly shattered, and the spells Voldemort placed on her afterward to reinforce her condition made that damage permanent.

"For years Professor Thordarson worked with your mother and never gave up his hope Victoria could some day be returned to us. That's why I never looked for another relationship in my life after you were born. Victoria's mind was gone… but she was still here, forever in my heart."

Finally, he was quiet, and Mister Grayson stood at the window looking outside at the grounds and the students communing in the courtyard below. He looked at Anna still sitting in her bed.

"We have to let her go, Anna. Victoria… my wife, your mother, really did die… thirteen years ago."

Anna glared at him. "You're wrong."

"Anna, please… you must understand…"

"You're wrong!" Anna screamed at him. "I saw her. I touched her. She's alive!"

Her father turned and walked back to her bed. "What you saw was not your mother."

"You're lying! She's not dead, she's not!"

"Please, Anna." He reached down and took her hands in his, but she wrenched them away.

"Stay away from me! You should have told me the truth!" He reached for her again, but Anna leapt out of the bed to the other side, the grief she had been holding in for years overwhelming the pain in her body.

"You don't know what it was like not to have a mother," she screamed. "All those years living in that house as a squib, believing I was weak and helpless, wondering why I was so different." She thrust an angry finger at him. "I wanted somebody who understood me. I wanted someone who could tell me why I was born this way. But my mother wasn't there… because you kept her from me."

"Anna, I never loved you any less than my other children. You know that."

"Oh sure… you cared for me, but I could see it in your eyes, the disappointment I wasn't what you expected me to be."

"I never…"

"You did! You and Eric both; you tried so hard to make up for my weaknesses. But I didn't want your pity. All I wanted was an explanation. Why? Why did this happen to me? Could you explain it? No! And now I find you took away the only person in my life that might have helped me… who would have loved me for who I was."

"Anna, you have to stop this."

"Why? It's the truth, isn't it? At least Damon treated me honestly. He never tried to hide his feelings about having a squib in the family. It disgusted him, just like it disgusted me! I was nothing! I was worthless!"

At these words, Mister Grayson's anger erupted forth. "You will never again say something like that in my presence. Do you understand me? NEVER! You are not worthless. You are my daughter; you — are a Grayson! You will always be a member of this family. It didn't matter to me that you were a squib. What mattered was helping you find your place in the world, where you could find happiness."

He raised his arms toward her. "Anna… your mother could not have explained any of this anymore than I. Nobody knows why these things happen… but look at you now. You always had a future, but now that future is unlike anything we could have imagined. You're a Guardian now. You have a purpose more important in the Wizarding world than many of us have yet to completely understand. Your life might have started out other than expected, but you had the necessary beginnings to what you've now become." He stepped around the bed to approach her, but she fell back again.

"Anna… please… your family needs you. I need you. You have to understand… I loved your mother with all my heart. I still do. But it's a love based on a memory… not of the thing you saw in Drogo."

"She's not a thing!" Anna screamed. "You may have convinced yourself that she's not your wife anymore, but I'll never stop believing she's still my mother."

"Anna, it isn't going to help to believe you can ignore what's happened to her. What you saw, the creature that attacked you, was not Victoria Grayson. Your mother, the woman I loved, would never do something like that to somebody she hated, never mind a member of her family, to her own daughter! Victoria died in that Albanian forest, just like I said she did. You can still love her… but you have to accept you love the memory of your mother… and not what you saw in that dreadful place. Everything we knew of Victoria is lost."

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Anna fumed. "And if you would have taken the time to truly understand her, you would have seen the truth."

Her father frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I touched her; I made a connection with her… I know with everything I am that a part of my mother is still alive."

"I… I don't understand," Mister Grayson said sharply. "What are you saying?"

"I'm telling you she's not dead." Mister Grayson sighed, and Anna could see he didn't believe what she was saying.

"There's a part of her that's still there," Anna said, sobbing. "I saw it in her eyes. She could have killed me in the end, but she's still fighting the evil one within her. Victoria is not dead — and she's stronger than you think. You should have never left her in that place… how could you do that to her?" Her father tried to reach out to her again, but Anna wasn't finished. "You never loved her. You could never have loved my mother… and then put her in that place."

"Anna…"

"I'll never forgive you for that. You lied about her death, about her life, you lied about everything. You even lied when you told me you loved her."

Anna looked at her father with an expression that made the man's heart sink. After all she had said to put reason to her feelings, his daughter had finally brought forth the words that explained everything. In all her questions of lies and deceit, after the truth of everything was finally revealed, Anna hit on the one thing Mister Grayson had asked himself every day following the loss of his beloved Victoria. How could a man who truly loved his wife ever give up the hope she would someday be returned to him? How could his love be so limited that he would finally lose faith? He looked at his daughter and could see the rage burning there through her tears.

"How could you?" she whispered.

There was a bang at the door at the end of the hallway, and Doctor Pearl was bustling up the aisle.

"Anna Grayson! What are you doing out of your bed?"

Anna glanced over at the doctor and then at her father again. She then jerked the blankets back and crawled into bed. Doctor Pearl noticed the tray of food lying upside down on the floor.

"What's this?" She looked up at Mister Grayson and then at Anna lying on her side facing away from him.

"Mister Grayson… I would have thought you would have insisted she stay in her bed. Anna is still in a very delicate…"

"It's all right, doctor," he told her, still looking at Anna.

"It most certainly is not…"

"Anna, we need to finish this," Mister Grayson said forcefully, and Pearl froze to look at the two of them in surprise.

"Go away!" she bellowed, covering her head. "I never want to see you again!"

"Anna!" Pearl blurted out in surprise. "You shouldn't speak to your father…" but Mister Grayson raised a hand to stop her. He sat on the bed behind his daughter and put a loving hand on her shoulder. He could feel her struggling to pull away from him.

"Anna… I did love your mother… and I love her memory still. What happened to her in death will never change the way I feel about her. I did what I could to give her the best chance to recover; but it didn't work.

"But I also had a responsibility to keep you and the rest of the children safe from harm. After seeing what's happened to you now… I know my decision was correct." He leaned back. "We won't talk about this again until you're ready. I can only pray someday you will understand."

He stood and looked at Doctor Pearl. "Please… take care of her, Margaret. If you need me, you'll find me in the Rotunda with my family."

"Of course. Will you be looking in on her tonight?"

Mister Grayson looked down at his daughter. Her shuddering sobs told him it was going to take more than a few hours to rebuild what was lost between them.

"No…" he sighed, "let her sleep. I'll see her again tomorrow."

Mister Grayson left Anna alone with her weighted thoughts. Although she had been awake for less than an hour, she was already exhausted. Anna fell asleep quickly, and immediately found her mind moving through a dark dungeon corridor and wondering with terrible apprehension what her mother might now be doing in the night.

93


	42. FortyNine

Chapter 42d26 — Forty-Nine

Chapter 42

Forty-Nine

ONE

The next day the sun was warm and bright and sent an airy breeze through the open window on the hospital floor around Anna's bed. She could hear the cheerful banter of the students mingling in the courtyard outside. They seemed so intolerably happy to her.

Doctor Pearl released Anna at three o'clock in the afternoon, but she took her time departing the hospital floor. She wanted to wait until she knew the students would be in the Rotunda, and Anna was thankful to find the corridors and hallways nearly empty when she finally made her way downstairs. When she reached the Server Hall, she saw a few first-years talking excitedly about their scheduled trip home and the upcoming summer holiday. No one seemed to notice her as she made her way down the center of the Gathering Hall, and she kept her focus down at her feet, giving the designed appearance of one in a hurried rush. A mosaic of color from the stained glass spotted the floor around her like spattered paint, marshaling her way toward the girl's staircase. When she finally reached the fourth floor, Anna paused briefly to listen at her door. She took a deep breath and entered; the room was empty.

_Thank goodness – alone at last._

She pushed the door closed with her back and sighed her prayerful thanks as she ambled her way back to the bedroom. Given her three-day stay in a hospital bed, she was astonished at how tired she felt when she saw her four-poster. She kicked off her shoes, tossed her robes onto Gabby's half-packed trunk, and then crawled across the bed to the open window to look out.

As expected, the town of Spellsburg was very busy. The Castlewood graduation ceremony was scheduled for the following day, and Anna knew this day would likely include touring groups of parents inspecting, musing, and reminiscing about the castle, its towers and grounds. In fact, she could hear the parents talking already, reflecting on the days when they themselves walked through the corridors as students at the academy.

She watched the families strolling along, arm-in-arm, fathers proudly holding their daughters' hands and mothers hugging their sons. Anna set her chin on her crossed arms and squinted at the pain it caused to her wrist. _Why did things have to be this way? _she thought jealously, watching a seventh-year boy escorting his mother down the cobbled sidewalk below.

Suddenly, a deep voice invaded the quiet space around her. _"Has the Keeper thus decided on its own version of the truth?"_

Anna spun around and to her enormous surprise she found the opposite wall of her room filled with thick and graying smoke. The Verosapt had come to life once again, and the gorilla's enormous head was now looming forward into the open space in front of her.

"What do you want?" Anna groaned, quickly displacing her surprise with bad tempered resentment. "And I wish you'd stop doing that," she complained. "Why can't you just stick to coming when you're called?" She looked away to stare out the window again.

The gorilla fell back, the habitual wave in his upper lip rolling angrily across his fangs. His voice was filled with volleyed hostility.

"_Thus it is, I didst not return because I wish it, little one. I find human company… barely tolerable at best."_

"Then why are you here?" Anna snapped back, disgusted by this intrusion of what was supposed to be her self-imposed seclusion.

"_I am the representative of the hoards that see, and are bound to answer one question from the Keeper on the day of thine entry."_

Anna glared at him. "But you've already told me what I wanted to know. I found my mother in Drogo prison… just like you said I would. What else is there to say?"

"_The Verosapt has yet to answer the Keeper's question." _

Anna frowned, completely perplexed by his growled explanation. The ape rolled his head back and slowly closed his eyes, and then Anna heard the perfect imitation of her own voice echoing into the room from the jungles behind him.

"How did Victoria Grayson die?"

The gorilla looked down at her._ "We have yet to fulfill our obligation to the Keeper until we respond. Thou didst bow absent from our answer upon the discovery thy mother was being held in Drogo prison."_

Anna smirked. "You don't have to answer the question," she shot back resentfully, looking away again. "I already know how my mother died." She glared back over her shoulder at him. "Thirteen years dead and dying?" she growled, scathingly. "That was a very funny way to tell me my mother was a vampire. You and your friends back there must have been laughing it up."

The gorilla glowered at her. _"Humans are rare to understand the knowledge presented unto them." _

Anna rolled her eyes and turned her back to him. She wasn't in the mood to hear anymore of his lectures, but the ape's unrelenting rumble moved over her again like the thunder from a rising storm.

"_The human gives refuge to the ill feelings it nurtures toward its father, for his omissions of truth about the death of the Keeper Victoria."_

Anna spun around, her jaw dropping in disbelieving shock. "What did you say? How dare you…"

"_The Verosapt is all-knowing wherein we have eyes to see, little one. Most numerous the insects of the hoard on the warmest days… even thus it is… within the hospital of this school."_

Anna felt angry. The Verosapt had obviously been listening to her argument with her father.

The gorilla continued. _"Thou dost believe thy father was cast without love for thy mother — that her imprisonment and his sins of exclusion were done without regard to her memory." _

"Was I wrong?" Anna snapped back, feeling the heat rising out of her chest. "How could he have loved my mother and then sent her to that place?"

"_Only one question is allowed," _the creature replied,_ "but the truth can be found here."_

She heard her own voice filter into the room once more, "How did Victoria Grayson die?"

Anna's fury was steadily growing. "I told you… I already know how she died, and I don't want to talk about it anymore."

The great ape fixed his gruesome glower upon her; he looked unforgiving and vacant of sympathy. _"Thy knowledge is flawed, and thus, the interpretation of thy father's motives are without merit. Let the Verosapt answer the Keeper's question."_

Again, Anna could hear her own voice echo into the room from the jungles behind him.

"How did Victoria Grayson die?"

"Why are you doing this?" Anna yelled back, angrily.

"How did Victoria Grayson die?" came her own voice in reply.

"Stop it!"

"… Grayson die?"

"I said — stop it!"

"How did Victoria Grayson die?"

"OKAY! Fine! Tell me what you have to say — and then leave me alone!"

Silence. The clattered voices in the background were immediately and thankfully still.

"_Humans are rare to understand the knowledge presented unto them,"_ repeated the great ape. _"Thus… we wilt show thee."_ The gorilla began to fall back into the clouds of smoke and then disappeared, but his voice continued to echo into the room around her.

"_We take thee back now thirteen and a half years… to the hours just before thy birth." _

And to Anna's astonishment, the clouds surrounding the scope began to clear, revealing a picture of a heavily wooded forest shadowed in darkness. Anna could hear the crickets in the underbrush buzzing, an owl hooting in the night, and suddenly… something else, a man's labored breathing.

"Hold on, darling. Please… stay with me!" The man immediately appeared, struggling to carry something heavy in his arms. It was the body of another person, a woman. Her dark, red hair glowed in the moonlight as it swung back and forth over his thick arms. Another man appeared next to the first, jogging by his side.

"Please, Boris, let us help you carry her."

Several other men now appeared in the scene as well, at least ten in all. They were dressed in robes and carrying wands.

"No… I have her," Mister Grayson replied. "How much farther, Jonathan?"

"The house I spoke of is just over that ridge, an abandoned mill. It should give her the shelter she needs until the healers arrive," said the portly man, puffing from exertion. "Please — let us help you, man."

"No — don't touch her. Just show me the way."

"Why can't we just Apparate her to a safe place?" asked a younger man, running on the other side of Anna's father. The man reached out and blasted a fallen log out of Mister Grayson's path with his wand.

"Because peer Apparition can be tricky with two healthy people. We can't risk the trauma in this case," replied the man called Jonathan.

"Boris…?" came a weak voice from her father's arms.

"I'm here, Victoria, I'm here. We're moving you to a place where the healers can help you. You were attacked by something in the forest. Conserve your strength, sweetheart. You have to remain strong."

"Boris… I'm so… sorry. I… should have told you the truth." The woman sobbed.

Mister Grayson was struggling to remain calm while he labored to carry her onward. "Now is not the time, my love. Try not to speak."

The woman moved a weak hand to her husband's chest. "Boris… you have to save the baby. No matter what happens to me… the child… will give you my love. The love… that I failed…"

"Don't say that. We have to work together for the baby's sake, and you're going to be a wonderful mother to it."

"Promise me you'll save the baby, Boris. Promise me…"

"I will… I promise," he replied, breathing hard as he struggled forward. The man suddenly stumbled and almost fell with the woman in his arms, and Anna was so enthralled with what was happening that she almost reached out to save her father from toppling over.

And then the scene went dark, replaced by thick and billowing clouds of gray smoke. But before Anna could protest, another image appeared before her again. This time her mother was lying in a bed. The room was dark, except for a few candles and a fire crackling behind the hearth next to her. Anna could see her father was seated by her mother's bedside, praying while he held his wife's hand in his. Another man was speaking to him.

"Boris… I'm afraid… your wife's wounds are very serious. You should know… there is a chance…"

"No!" her father cut him off. "She's going to make it through this; I know she can pull through. She's suffered so much already."

"I've done everything I can for Victoria, but there is the baby to think about now. If we move quickly, we still might have a chance to save it."

The scene widened to include several other men standing in a circle around the bed. They were whispering to one another, and Anna came forward to hear their quiet voices in conversation.

"That's right, it was a vampire. It looked like a very old one, living wild in the forest."

The man next to him leaned in. "Is it possible that she might be in danger of…?"

"Shhh — keep your voice down."

"But the bite of a wild and feeding vampire…"

"I know… I know. But I don't think Boris realizes it yet… the risk, I mean… the poor fellow. It's bad enough to lose his wife, and perhaps the child too, but… the bloodlust transformation…" The man paused, shaking his head. "We have to be ready for anything now. Pass the word to the rest of the men; they must be on their guard. I want every man with a wand in his hand."

"We're losing her!" yelled the healer, and Mister Grayson jumped to his feet and leaned over his wife.

"Victoria… no! Please… hold on… don't leave me now…"

There was choking and writhing in the bed, and then a sudden stillness. It was followed by Victoria Grayson's weak and trembled whisper, "My love… save… save the… baby." There was a final rattle of life passing away, and then the suffering woman was finally calm.

"Victoria? Oh God… please no… please don't let this happen. Victoria?" He began to shake his wife. "Victoria, wake up… please wake up!"

Anna watched the final scene of her mother's passing with tears flooding her eyes. The healer immediately stepped forward to place a steady hand on her father's shoulder as Mister Grayson sobbed into his wife's quiet chest.

"Boris?" said the doctor. "Listen to me." He gripped his friend's arm. "We must act now if we're going to spare the child. Please, move aside… and let me try and save your baby." Anna's father looked up with tears in his eyes.

"But Victoria… she'd never survive the procedure. You can't…"

"Boris… Your wife is already gone, and we only have a few minutes in which to act."

"No… she's not gone," he said, rising to stand. He looked around at his friends standing around the bed. "She's not!"

The healer grabbed Mister Grayson by his arms and pulled the man's attention to him. "Boris… listen to me now, and I pray you let me finish what I have to say. This day has changed your life forever; I know that — we all understand that. But a minute's indecision now can mean the difference between fulfilling your wife's final wishes and increasing the pain of a lifetime tenfold. You must trust me and stand aside, we have but a moment left to save the baby."

Mister Grayson looked at his friend. "The baby?"

"Yes, Victoria's child is still with us, and I intend to act for you and try and save it. Please… for God's heavenly glory… STAND ASIDE!"

Anna's father was a man caught between life's devastating cruelty and a moment defining one of its greatest blessings. Boris Grayson's strength was legendary within the minds of those watching him now. Not of great sorcery or his prowess with a wand, but in his ability to slice the integral parts of complicated issues under enormous pressure and somehow make the right decision. He grimaced, and then bent over as if to collapse, gripping his friend's arm for steadied strength. Within seconds he straightened, looking unsure of his next decision. He nodded once and then stepped back.

"Do what you have to do," he moaned, staring painfully at his wife's body.

"You and you," yelled the healer, pointing at two men standing against the wall. "Help me move her into position." The men quickly moved as one toward the bed.

Once again, the picture within the mist went dark, and Anna held her breath waiting for the next scene to appear. But before the picture resumed within the swirling clouds of vapored mist, she heard it. It was a baby's cry, an infant screaming with strong lungs and voice as the picture returned to the room once more. Her father was standing by the fire, holding a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket from the bed. The healer was rolling down the sleeves of his shirt, looking at the bundle in her father's arms.

"A strong, baby girl; a miracle, really… considering the circumstances."

Anna's father was cradling the baby like his finest possession. "A baby girl…" he said, in barely a whisper. "Your mother wanted a daughter more than anything in the world." He moved a gentle hand over the infant's head. "She would have called you... Anna. Welcome to our family… Anna Grayson."

The man looked up at the now covered body of his dead wife and began to sob. He looked down again at the baby. "How will I tell you of these things, Anna? How will you become what God intended without your beautiful mother by your side?" He began to sob once more, burying his face in the infant's blankets. Anna was crying with him, feeling every soul-wrenching measure of her father's grief and loss.

And then a woman's voice startled the quiet. "Give it to me," it said, in a soft - almost singing tone. Every head in the room turned and looked upon Victoria Grayson now sitting upright in her deathbed. Her face was radiant and perfect, devoid of any dirt hinting at the many days of struggle and suffering in the forest. Her arms were outstretched.

"Give me the child," she said, longingly. But there was something different in the woman's intention and manner that Anna recognized almost immediately, and she understood what was driving the thing she once called her mother; it was… wicked hunger.

"Victoria?" moaned Mister Grayson, gazing disbelievingly at his wife.

"Yes… come to me, my love. Bring me the child," she said, and Anna found the voice familiar; hypnotic and loving, it moved Anna to wantonly push her father forward toward it. Mister Grayson's face seemed to fall, his expression dropping into the relaxed appearance of gentle tranquility. He unconsciously raised the baby up as if to give it to its mother, and Victoria purred as she reached out to take it from him.

"No… don't!" yelled the healer next to the bed, and Victoria suddenly hissed at him through long and murderous fangs. Anna recoiled in shock. Her mother looked powerful and much more threatening than what she saw in the pits of Drogo. The creature leaped from the place of her death, and attacked the screaming man standing by her bedside, burying her fangs deep into his fleshy throat. Anna gasped, involuntarily moving her hands to her own bandaged neck in response.

"My God, stop her!" yelled another voice, and several men suddenly rushed in. They immediately grabbed the vampire and pulled her off the healer.

"Leave her alone," yelled Mister Grayson, who was frantically moving toward his wife, still clutching the now crying baby in his arms. One of the men was suddenly thrown across the room; an entire dresser followed him, and then a second man after that.

"Subdue her, quickly!" choked the healer, who was holding his bloodied and badly torn neck.

"No… leave my wife alone," Mister Grayson yelled, pulling out his wand from under his robes.

"Boris… that's not your wife anymore. She's been permanently transfigured. Hold her!" the man yelled again.

"No! Get your hands off of her!" Mister Grayson screamed, brandishing his wand at the men. There was a high-pitched scream from the creature as the mob wrestled her kicking and snarling to the floor.

"Listen to me, Boris. I know this is difficult for you to understand right now, but Victoria is gone. This thing is but a shell of the woman you once knew… she's now a vampire." The doctor pointed at the men still grappling with the creature. "Control that thing!" They pulled the woman up and shoved her rudely onto the bed as several more men threw their weight on top of her. "Bind her!"

They yanked Victoria to her feet, snapping and growling wildly, and she was instantly wrapped in the strongest chains. A second spell hit her, which encased her entire body in a white shroud up to her neck. Her husband was enraged.

"I told you to stop! _Stupefy!"_ A jet of red light shot from Mister Grayson's wand hitting one of the men holding his wife square in the chest. The man flew across the room and crashed into the wall on the other side of the bed.

"Boris, NO!"

"Grab him!" another man yelled.

"Boris — stop it!"

"Grab him — take his wand!"

Three men tackled Anna's father, while the vampire twisted and screamed.

"Boris — help me… they're going to kill me. You must stop them."

"Get your hands off me!" Mister Grayson screamed. "Release my wife. Release her, I say!"

"Someone take the baby before it's injured," yelled the healer. "Boris… control yourself! Think of the baby!"

"I said get off me!"

"Boris… help me!"

"Victoria! Let me go!"

The men finally took the wrapped bundle from Anna's father and then the wizard's wand. They then pushed him to the floor screaming for his wife.

Victoria was now bound tight and completely helpless, screaming and cursing the men holding her in the voice of the evil one. Suddenly, the vampire looked up from the floor at her husband being held away from her.

"Boris… please… I always loved you. Please… you have to help me."

Mister Grayson was pinned on his front to the floor. He raised his head to look up at his wife. He was sobbing. "Victoria! My darling — I will help you. I swear with everything I am — I will always take care of you. I'll never allow them to harm you. I love you. Victoria… I'll always love you. Release me! Let me go to my wife. Victoria… Victoria! Please let me go! Please… my wife needs me."

"They're going to kill me! Boris… help me…"

"Victoria… Victoria… Victoria!"

The scene finally darkened for a final time, and the screaming voices flooding Anna's room slowly began to fade as the great ape came forward once again.

"_Thus… we hath shed the light of truth into the darkness of doubt and answered the Keeper's question. We have fulfilled our cause and promise. The hoard is once again… at peace."_

Anna was crying uncontrollably, her face buried deep in her hands. The image of her desperate father lying on the floor, helpless and reaching out, fighting to get to his screaming wife, was something Anna knew she would carry in her soul for the rest of her life. She felt so alone, the weight of her foolishness bearing down upon her chest like an ocean rushing in to drown her.

"What have I done?" she whispered, through her heavy sobs. "What have I done?"

The ape looked down at her with an expression of sympathy Anna would have never thought possible just a moment before. _"The Keeper is distraught by the erosion of its misconceptions. The hoard didst hope witnessing these images wouldst given thee a clearer awareness of the reality words alone fail to deliver. The telling of tales abandoned of feeling is fraught with danger, little one. Humans, it would seem, have difficulty grasping the complexity of these realities without sensing the emotions that clingeth to them. Didst our efforts to convey these imagines make a difference in thy opinion?"_

Anna looked up, her face wet with tears. "It makes… all the difference in the world," she said, despondently. "Thank you." The gorilla leaned back bowed as he slowly fell away into the graying clouds behind him; his eyes portrayed a level of satisfaction Anna had never seen_. _

"_The Keeper is thus… satisfied,"_ he said proudly, and the jungles behind him began to squawk and clatter with excitement. He looked down at her once more. _"We shall cometh again at the time of thy entry to collect once more thy cravings for wisdom and truth. Meantime, thou shouldeth look to thy family for strength and the insight necessary for growth."_ He paused, and then, _"Thy father is a human of great honor, trusted by many to remain faithful to his ideals. But he is a man now questioning who and what he is, because his daughter has thus misinterpreted his love and ambitions for his wife. Thou hath much to consider and reflect upon in the days to come."_ The gorilla's face folded away within the mist, and the fan of red light immediately closed into a single beam. _"Until thee call unto the hoard once more, the Verosapt bids the Keeper farewell. We offer it our continual prayer - that the great Creator of all wilt show thee the healing path of acceptance." _The beam of light disappeared within the ruby of YU once more, which closed quickly with a sharp snap.

Anna sat quietly on her bed, wiping the falling tears from her eyes. She then leapt to her feet, grabbed her robes and shoes, and bolted out of the room. Within minutes, she was pushing open the doors to the Rotunda, searching for her father through a sea of students and their families. As the doors closed behind her, she found the Graysons sitting with Gwen's family and Sarah Bell. Although the table seemed lively enough, even from across the room she could see her father looked unusually quiet and somber. Anna quickly made her way toward the table until she was sure her voice would be heard.

"Daddy?" she called out, cautiously. Her father looked up.

"Anna!" The man immediately stood, knocking his goblet of wine to the floor. The two stared across the room at one another, each eager for forgiveness.

"Daddy… " Anna's voice stumbled as she whimpered, "I am so… sorry."

Tencha, Dowla, and Damon looked up at their father, completely befuddled by Anna's unexpected apology. Eric and Gwen, on the other hand, were smiling and Sarah Bell had tears in her eyes as they all turned anxiously for Mister Grayson's reply. Her father fell back a step and closed his eyes, and only Eric understood his silent prayer of gratitude and thanks. Opening his eyes again, he struggled to smile, and then reached out to his daughter.

Anna ran to him filled with sorrow and fell into his loving arms and full embrace. Her father raised her off her feet and began kissing her on the neck and cheeks while Anna sobbed in pained relief.

"I'm sorry, daddy… I am so, so sorry…" she wailed onto his shoulder.

"Ssshhh… not another word," he whispered softly into her ear. "You have nothing to apologize for. It was my fault for not telling you what happened." He set her down again to look at her. "But I'm glad you finally know the truth. I think it'll be easier for me, knowing I now have somebody to share this burden." Anna nodded and then hugged him again as the entire family rose together around them.

As the family hugged the two of them, Dowla leaned over to whisper to Tencha.

"Did I miss something here?"

High above them, where the topmost stones of the domed ceiling separated the night sky from the Rotunda below, a solitary spider stopped its spinning for a moment to look down. Its many beady eyes suddenly turned red as it froze to focus on the scene beneath it. And somewhere in a distant jungle, the great ape of the Verosapt sat facing the heavens with his eyes closed, his entire being set with practiced concentration. He smiled.

TWO

Anna and Sarah awoke the next day to a beautiful bright and blue morning and began getting ready for their last full day at Castlewood. Anna was quiet while she showered, dressed, and packed, and Sarah knew her roommate well enough now to leave her to her own thoughts. Although Sarah and Gwen did everything they could the night before at dinner to privately entice Anna into telling the story about her trip to Drogo, Anna reluctantly put them off. She wanted to wait until they were on their way home aboard the Allegheny Pride. There, out on the rolling and open sea, Anna would tell them everything.

Tencha, Dowla, and Damon still didn't understand the fight between Anna and their father and, like everybody else at Castlewood, they had to eventually accept the story of her being attacked by some unknown creature while preparing her mount before the last Vollucross race. But to Anna's great surprise, she found that Eric knew everything. Gwen and Sarah confessed to Anna they had told her brother about her trip to Drogo after they found her note in the stables, and her father filled Eric in on most of the remaining details during her stay in the hospital.

Eric and Anna were up late that night, talking for several hours in a private corner of the Server Hall after dinner. Her brother was staggered by Anna's account of her visit to Drogo prison, but not nearly as much by what she had found within its dungeons. Eric was visibly shaken when Anna had confirmed his long-lost stepmother was still alive and now roaming the world as an escaped vampire. Anna told him everything: about her ability to pass through magical barriers and speak to the magic contained in the walls and the objects surrounding them. The only thing Anna purposely left out was the identity of the ally. The ghost of Leola Grayson made it very clear she didn't want her family to know the truth about her death, and Anna was fixed on keeping her promise and Leola's confidence. She felt she owed the woman that much for rescuing her from a terrible death at the hands of her own mother.

Eric listened intently and finally tried to put everything into perspective and in terms of their future role as Guardians. He told Anna their father had once confided to him his connection with the _Order of the Phoenix_, which was the name of the secret society Dumbledore had mentioned while visiting her in the hospital. Dumbledore and Thordarson were now recalling the order to fight against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.

Eric wanted to join their father in the order as well, intent on fighting side by side against the evil wizard who had done so much to destroy their family. Although Mister Grayson was very proud of Eric's brave offer to help, he refused to allow him to join Dumbledore's order until they knew if the Guardian Union would be sustained. Either way, Eric thought his father meant to keep him out of the Order of the Phoenix.

Mister Grayson knew the Sithmaith would work to protect the elements of magic, even if she had to stand alone and without her army of Guardians to help her. Consequently, Eric understood his father well enough to know he would never abandon Anna to this enormous task without the family's support.

The only thing left undone the morning Anna and Sarah were packing their trunks was the issue of the last Guardian. After all their hard work, lectures, and presentations, after all the talk of a new order charging ahead to protect the things of magic, they had somehow failed to identify anybody who fit what the Mirror of Enlightenment needed to sustain them. But sustained or not, Anna was relieved to know Eric would somehow stand with her, regardless of the school's inability to identify the fiftieth Guardian. And perhaps, Anna thought, that was why they hadn't sustained the union after all. Maybe the magic that created them already had what it wanted in the Order of Merlin, and didn't require a new Union at Castlewood to do what needed to be done, but Eric knew Professor Thordarson felt differently.

Eric told Anna that immediately following his switch to the Guardians, the Chancellor had confided in her brother his belief there must have been a specific reason Castlewood had become the launching point for the new order, and he wanted to test this theory by setting a goal for the number of order members needed to sustain them. If by the end of the year this number could be attained, it would prove to Thordarson a Guardian Hall should be founded at Castlewood, and they should expect more Guardians to replace those leaving each year.

Still, Anna wanted the order sustained for another reason. She felt the task set before them in keeping the forces of good and evil from destroying everything magical seemed to her a very daunting task if forced to go at it alone. Yes… the thought of that frightened her more than Voldemort himself.

Anna and Sarah watched in fascination as their packed trunks moved by themselves out the window and began floating with hundreds more through the morning sky toward the city gates. They could see the citizens of Spellsburg, some wiping tears from their eyes as they pointed and waved, looking up to watch the trunks gliding slowly through the air like a flock of enormous birds high above them.

Sarah flopped onto her bed frustrated. She raised her wand to her throat once again still trying with all her mental strength to recover her lost voice she had been practicing to quite. Anna sat across from her and smiled.

"You sure you don't want me to help you?" Anna asked, waving her purple heart.

Sarah rolled her eyes pleadingly, but then shook her head. She raised her wand to her throat again, closed her eyes, and Anna could see her lips repeating the words to the counter spell once more.

"Okay, but if you can't do it by the time we're aboard ship…" she pointed her wand at her friend again and Sarah nodded.

As Anna entered the hallway alone outside, she remembered with a jerk of realization that her roommate's predictions of Voldemort's return had all come true. Anna stood outside their door shaking her head in stunned amazement. Never again would she question Sarah's _seer_ abilities.

_Ka-chunk-ching!_

Anna looked up at the Guardian counter above their door and watched as the purple flames began to form the disappointing message on the clock's face.

_**[Guardians needed to sustain the Union:]**_

_**[01]**_

A sharp twinge of pain stabbed her in her stomach. They had missed it by just one, just one more person out of the hundreds living at the school. _Why would the magic in the mirror bring them this far and not give them what they needed to continue?_

Once again, the hallways and corridors were nearly empty as Anna slowly made her way downstairs into the Server gathering space. She traveled through the Tower Room and tunnels to the castle, and then entered the Rotunda where she found several parents mingling about the tables with their children. Anna looked up and waved to her father and Mrs. McConnell, who were seated in the balcony area below a sea of smiling faces projected upon the Rotunda's domed ceiling.

Anna made her way around the wall and saw the Union of Guardians, un-sustained, trying to enjoy what was to be their last meal together. And from the mood she could see even before reaching their table, they were a highly disappointed group indeed.

A part of Anna felt ashamed to sit among those who should have been her closest friends. Everyone had worked so hard to find the fiftieth Guardian, all that is… except for her. Anna realized she had been so caught up in trying to learn the truth about her mother that she had neglected her part in what might have been their union's success. When the Guardians finally saw her, they smiled and moved an extra chair between Eric and Gwen, who both stood to give her a hug.

"Sit down, Anna, and try to eat something," Eric said, pointing to the empty chair. Anna sat and her brother seated himself beside her.

Gwen sat on her left and took Anna's hand. "How you feeling, Annie-G? You didn't eat very much last night."

"Still a little tired, maybe," Anna replied, somberly.

"Well… it ain't no wonder, with all that-there hospital food they been tryin'ta stuff down yer gullet. Here… get the girl some real vittles," ordered TJ, who then reached over to ladle something chunky and smothered in white gravy in the center of Anna's golden plate.

The rest of the Guardians quickly joined in, piling bacon, eggs, biscuits, pancakes, fruit, and a hilarious array of other food that magically flew its way onto her dish and ended up a foot high under Anna's chin. Anna stared at her plate and then slowly began to laugh. Everybody joined in and soon the Guardian table was just as loud as any of the others surrounding them. Anna finally picked up her fork and scraped away some of the eggs that had squished out from between her pancakes. She cautiously licked them off the fork and looked around at her fellow Guardians. They were all staring at her; Anna dipped her head.

"I'm sorry… I wasn't there to help you find the last Guardian," she said, feeling the overwhelming weight of disappointment falling in on her again. "You've all worked so hard to make the Guardian Union a reality, and I feel like I've let you down," she sobbed.

"Hey…" Eric whispered, wrapping an arm around his sister, "what's all this about, huh? Today is supposed to be a day of celebration… no tears allowed. Come now, Anna. Let's enjoy this last meal together."

Gwen reached in with her napkin to wipe at Anna's face. "It wasn't your fault we didn't make it, Anna. You worked just as hard as the rest of us. It just… wasn't meant to be, I guess." Anna took Gwen's napkin and daubed her eyes.

"But why would the mirror let us get this far without allowing us to continue as a Union? What was the point? It doesn't make any sense."

"Well I, for one, don't care what the school does about the Guardian Union. I'm not going back to the Defenders," said the girl named Teresa Sinclair. "I'm a Guardian now." She stood and snatched up her goblet. "We're all Guardians — now and forever!" She lifted her cup. "To the Order of Merlin!" The rest of the students at the table stood and raised their cups high.

"To the Guardians!"

"And I don't care what Chancellor Thordarson says. Sustained or not, I'm wearing purple until the day I graduate. How about it?"

"Here-here," agreed several others standing around the table and they all drank.

"May I have your attention please," came a call from the front. They all turned and found Chancellor Thordarson standing on the platform at the front of the room. He looked unusually solemn in bright red robes with the five Dynasty crests embroidered on his front. Every Guardian at the table immediately noticed their crest was still missing from his robes. They all sat to listen.

"Another year… gone, and once again we find ourselves having to say goodbye. As I look around the room, I see many faces that will be moving on after our graduation ceremony this afternoon, about to embark on another chapter in their lives away from us here at Castlewood. I can only hope your seven years with us have not only been educational, but enjoyable as well. We shall miss you… all. As for the rest of you, I look forward to seeing you once again in the fall, at the beginning of the new school term."

He paused before announcing that the Defender Union had once again, and for the seventh consecutive year in a row, achieved the highest number of points and would be awarded the Chancellor's Cup. The elated cheers from the Defenders' table were nearly equal to the grumbled murmurs of discontent from the other tables surrounding them. Anna wasn't surprised to see Damon cheering with the rest of his fellow Dynasty members, but what really disappointed her the most was seeing Debbie Dunning seated among her Defender cronies, making crude gestures at some of the Artisans seated at the table next to them.

"And now," Thordarson continued, "I'd like to ask our Academy student president and all of our Union Knights to join me here on the platform." Several students around the room stood and began moving toward the front. Eric and Damon rose with them and quickly made their way to the platform's steps. When they were gathered and facing the audience on the platform, Chancellor Thordarson spoke again.

"I would like to thank our Student President, Nancy Dodimayer, and this year's Castlewood Knights for their outstanding contribution and work this year." The parents, teachers, and students all applauded as the Chancellor shook their hands and handed each of them a small scroll of appreciation. Anna grinned. She could see her father and Mrs. McConnell in the balcony standing to applaud, and the two Grayson Knights smiling and waving back at them.

Once again, Thordarson stepped forward. "Yes… yes, a job well done to be sure. And now, it is my great privilege to announce this year's Senior Valedictorian." The Chancellor paused importantly as the rest of the Rotunda quickly fell silent. "He is a man who this year not only earned the highest marks of academic excellence, but also the respect and admiration of so many studying at this school. But what was most impressive was that he did all of this while working to help his fellow Guardians in the quest to sustain their new Union. It is, then, my deepest honor to present to you this year's Valedictorian… Mister Eric Grayson."

There was thunderous applause from all the students, but especially from both the Server Union and Guardian tables. Looking somewhat embarrassed, Eric stepped forward as the Chancellor shook his hand and placed around his neck an Academy emblem of distinction, which for the first time had dangling below its Castlewood crest, the Guardian coat of arms. The Chancellor kissed Eric on both cheeks and then presented him to the rest of the Rotunda. Anna and the Guardians stood and cheered while Professor Thordarson glanced up to see Eric's father in the balcony joyously applauding and cheering with the rest. The Chancellor grinned.

Gwen leaned over to Anna and moaned, "Oh… a man with brains and a nice tushy. Okay… wrap him up; I'll be taking him home with me now."

Eric waved his acknowledgement to the crowd and humbly stepped back in line with the rest of his fellow Knights as Professor Thordarson motioned to silence the crowd.

"I believe I speak for us all when I say Eric has, indeed, set a very high standard to follow after his departure and we all wish him much success in his future endeavors." He paused once more and then took a more solemn tone.

"As the Chancellor of this fine school, it is always a privilege to honor those of merit within the walls of these five Dynasties. Unfortunately, it is also my responsibility to make the more difficult decisions contributing to the future academic course and direction of the school as a whole.

"As you know, a new Union was established here at Castlewood in September. It should be understood… there has never been a question as to the validity of the Guardians within the Academy, but only whether this institution should invest in the support of the new order as a lasting Dynasty. A standard was set, and it was decided a goal of fifty Guardians was necessary by the end of the school year to sustain the Union."

"Here it comes," Gwen whispered, disappointedly. "The other shoe is about to drop right on our heads."

"Unfortunately… we did not meet the stated goal necessary for sustainability. Therefore… it is my unfortunate duty to…"

Suddenly, a side door opened with a bang and Professor Titan was seen hurriedly entering the Rotunda. He quickly mounted the steps, motioning to the Chancellor as he stepped onto the platform. He approached Professor Thordarson and whispered something that looked urgent into his ear. The Chancellor's eyebrows seemed to rise with unexpected surprise as he listened. He then turned to face Titan with a look of clear astonishment. He then nodded, and Titan motioned to a Crimson Guard standing by the exit door. The guard quickly turned to open the door behind him and then made a simple gesture to somebody unseen on the other side.

A lone figure suddenly appeared in the open doorway of the Rotunda wearing a purple robe. Everybody at the Guardian table stood in amazement as they watched the unknown and hooded student walk briskly between the crowded tables toward the platform. Professors Titan and Thordarson met the stranger at the steps, and the Chancellor bent down to speak to the individual in a whisper before straightening and motioned for Eric to join him. Eric came forward eagerly to shake the student's hand, looking inquiringly at the face under the hood for the first time. He then looked up at the Guardian table, his face breaking into a broad smile while the rest of the students in the hall began to murmur with excitement.

"Who is it?" several voices whispered around them.

Anna slowly rose, too shocked and amazed to believe what was about to happen next. Professor Thordarson turned and walked to the edge of the platform and then made a signaling motion toward her.

"Anna Grayson… Anna? Could you join us here on the platform, please?" Anna was anchored to the spot, too surprised to move.

"Go on…" Gwen said, pushing her friend forward. Anna moved quickly across the room and up the wooden stairs. She then joined the Chancellor who was smiling as he guided her toward the hooded figure.

"Hello…" Anna said, cautiously. "Have… we met?"

The stranger slowly raised her hands and then lifted the hood off her head, and Anna stared unblinkingly at the young girl before her.

"Sarah?" Anna whispered. Sure enough, her own roommate Sarah Bell was standing there, looking almost as surprised as Anna herself. "But I thought…" Anna stammered, "I thought you said the Mirror of Enlightenment had already confirmed you were a Server months ago."

Her friend looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Anna. I… I lied to you when I said I walked through the mirror again." Anna could see the girl's cheeks reddening. "I guess… I was just too frightened to go through a second time. I really thought you and Eric would eventually find the fiftieth Guardian long before now… but as the deadline got closer… I knew I had to finally try. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth." Sarah glanced apologetically up at Eric who turned to look at Anna. The two smiled at each other at the same time.

"Sorry?" Anna yelled. "This is fantastic!" And before Anna could say another word, Eric reached down and lifted the little girl off her feet.

"Sarah Bell…" he said, holding her out straight again to look at her properly, "I'm going kiss you!" And then he did, full on the lips.

Looking stunned as Eric pulled away, Anna could see her roommate turning bright red with embarrassment. Eric set the girl down on her feet again and then looked to the Guardian table.

"We have our fiftieth Guardian!" he yelled, holding up Sarah Bell's wrist high into the air, and the Guardians suddenly rang out with cheers of fabulous surprise.

Chancellor Thordarson was beaming with satisfaction as he raised his hands toward the assembled crowd and sang out in a very loud voice, "The Guardian Union is… sustained!"

And with that, the entire Rotunda exploded with howls of elated joy and applause. Every parent and teacher in the balcony stood, clapping with the rest as they watched magic's remarkable plan unfolding before them.

There were only a few unnoticed individuals who were not clapping, of course, and most of them were sitting near or around Debbie Dunning at the Defenders' table. Debbie had a look of unabashed loathing on her face for all the excitement being displayed around them, and Anna couldn't help feeling triumphant at seeing her disappointment.

Thordarson raised his hands once more. "This is a time for marvelous celebration. Eat and be merry… for who knows what tomorrow might bring."

The applause continued as Sarah followed Eric and Anna back to the Guardian table where she was met with several enthusiastic hugs and excited handshakes. And there, the youngest student at Castlewood Academy was seated among those who would become her life-long friends. She sat between Anna and Eric, and within minutes the Guardians were talking enthusiastically about their future together. It was a moment Sarah Bell would travel back to remember one hundred and twenty-two years later, when she would finally pass away as the last of the original fifty Guardians.

108


	43. The Welcoming Party

Chapter 43d28– The Welcoming Party

Chapter 43

The Welcoming Party

ONE

That afternoon, the entire school gathered for the Castlewood graduation ceremony, which took place outside and in front of the Server and Artisan tower. A large stage and podium sat beneath the tower connecting the two halls, and something that looked like an altar was placed to the side under a purple drape. A magnificent choir holding deep-throated bullfrogs sang each of the school's Union songs to the assembled parents and townspeople.

There were many speeches, but none better than Eric Grayson who, as the class valedictorian, spoke of their future as something yet to be discovered. He told his fellow graduates the most difficult challenges awaited all leaving Castlewood that day, and although Voldemort's name was never mentioned, Eric's speech was filled with several uneasy warnings of the trials yet to come for the Wizarding world.

In the days that would follow, those who only whispered _You-Know-Who_ in trusted circles would read of the things written about him in the wizarding newspapers from Europe, and the claims from the Headmaster of Hogwarts that the most evil wizard in a century had somehow conquered death and was back to prey among them once again. Albus Dumbledore's warnings would be mocked in America just as they were in most of the magical world, and soon flocks of owls were calling for the Headmaster's removal from Hogwarts for wantonly causing a public panic with his unsubstantiated claims of _You-Know-Who's_ return. Yes, all of this would come in the days following the students' departure from Castlewood, but on this graduation day it seemed the cloudless, blue afternoon refused to allow anything to spoil the celebration at hand.

The Crimson Guards and their Lieutenants had gathered to the right of the speaker's podium. Dressed in their crimson robes, white gloves, and carrying gleaming swords, they formed themselves into wide rows several ranks deep. Captain Dunning was front and center, barking orders loudly as he moved his men through their practiced drills. They finally halted and the crowd applauded at the manner in which the guards moved with military precision.

Anna noticed one particularly oversized guard standing to the back of all the rest. Although he was at least twice the size of the men around him, he moved with ease within the formation, turning and snapping to attention at the Captain's command. He was covered from head to toe in crimson silk and Anna smiled at seeing her very large and mysterious friend once again.

Finally, Mayor Ulric stepped up to the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I speak to you on this beautiful day about something Chancellor Thordarson and I have been talking about since the beginning of the school year.

"A majority of us have already seen or met most of the wonderful students now calling themselves _The Guardians_, and for those of us who carry a strong appreciation for wizard history, it must be said today will be remembered for something monumental in its importance and significance. The establishment of a new Union at Castlewood hasn't happened in more than two hundred and fifty years, since the very foundation and merger of the original five magical institutions we now call the Dynasties of Castlewood. It is then with enormous pride that I announce to the residents of Spellsburg this happy news. Early this morning, the Guardian Union was sustained within the Academy."

There was a gasp of shocked surprise by some of the townspeople, and then a round of spontaneous applause began to roll forth from the crowd. After a long moment, the Mayor raised his hands to quiet them.

"Yes, my dear friends, this _is_ a memorable day indeed, and we hope the Guardians will remain a vital and integral part of our wonderful city for many, many years to come. But, as many of you have undoubtedly already asked yourselves, where will our future Guardians live? We cannot ask the students of Castlewood's newest Union to continue to share space within the Server Hall. What kind of hosts would we be?" The crowd laughed and cheered again. "It would seem the only proper thing to do is to build a new Guardian Hall, and to do that, our wonderful city will need to expand to allow for its construction.

"Therefore, I am also happy to announce the Spellsburg City Council, in special session just a few hours ago, has approved the building of a new Guardian Hall, and has ordered its construction to begin immediately and be completed within the next two months for our returning and, what we hope will be, growing Guardian population." The crowd cheered again.

"We are all standing in the exact spot where three future streets will connect the old parts of the city to the new. These streets will be called Guardian Drive, Guardian Way, and Avenue of the Guardians." Some of the shop owners in the crowd jumped to their feet and began clapping excitedly.

The Major smiled and then motioned to his right. "And now, I would like to ask Chancellor Thordarson of Castlewood Academy to join me here to help with the honors. If you please, Professor."

Thordarson walked over to the podium, his orb-topped staff tapping the wooden floor beneath his feet. He was dressed in black robes, different from those he wore at the morning breakfast, with gold embroidery on his front and sleeves. His white hair shimmered in the bright sunlight under a matching wizard's cap. He looked up to smile at the audience.

"Let us… make some space," he said simply, and then turned to face the Server and Artisan Tower behind him. He raised the orb over his head and bellowed, _"Expositus… Moenia… Guardian Novus!" _

He thrust his staff toward the wall, and the orb upon it began to glow a bright-shimmering blue. Suddenly, a jet of blue light shot from the orb's surface, hitting the center of the tower wall with a staggering _BOOM_. The structure began to shake on its very foundations, swaying unbelievably as if in some immense earthquake. The crowd began to rise from their seats, awed by the remarkable sight as the tower finally split itself away from the Server Hall.

"Look at that!" yelled a man from the crowd of astonished onlookers.

Thordarson thrust his staff forward once again and the beam of light coming from the orb began to glow white-hot, and then the great tower unbelievably started to move. It began to slide away, pushing the entire Artisan Hall back and to the right. As the building crept backward, it opened a huge gap in the wall surrounding Spellsburg. And now the crowd could see the Server Hall was moving back as well, falling away like its disconnected brother to the left.

The enormous gap between the thick, stone walls continued to open wider and wider, revealing a clear view of the plateau outside that hadn't existed in more than two centuries. As the two buildings moved away, the audience could now see Thordarson was making room for the future Guardian Hall between the old structures. They began to cheer and applaud as the breach within their city's walls continued to grow with every passing second. Finally, the rumble under their feet stopped, leaving a great opening, an enormous rift in the wall surrounding the city. Thordarson lowered his staff, cutting off the beam hitting the tower. He slowly turned to face the crowd, who looked positively awestruck by the Chancellor's immense power, still radiating like a glowing blaze around him.

"Here, on this very spot, the new Guardian Hall and Tower will rise," he said. "Where once our ramparts consisted of five walls, they will now become six." The audience cheered, whistled, and continued to clap excitedly.

"And now," Thordarson continued, "I would like to ask... Miss Anna Grayson to join me here at the podium." Anna looked around in surprise and then slowly stood. Professor Thordarson finally saw her in the back of the sea of students watching him. "Ah… there you are. If you please, Anna," the Chancellor said, beckoning her forward.

Anna advanced uncertainly and then joined Professor Thordarson on the stage. When she was standing next to him, the Chancellor turned to address the crowd once more. "Every new building should have its own dedication, and I cannot think of a better individual to help us do this than the very first Guardian of Castlewood." He pulled away the purple-drape covering the altar-like structure to reveal an enormous block of granite cut into a perfect square. It was a foundation stone with the following words carved upon its front:

HERE WE DEDICATE THE GUARDIAN UNION

SET THIS DAY – JUNE 27TH 1995

MAY GOD KEEP OUR DYNASTY STRONG

Professor Thordarson turned to Anna. "I would be most honored if you would help me set this first of what will soon be many foundation stones." Anna looked at Eric and then to her father seated in the front row. Mister Grayson was grinning with enormous pride as Anna whipped out her purple heart. She smiled, and together with Professor Thordarson, took careful aim at the heavy stone.

"Wait!" Anna barked, suddenly moving her wand away.

She turned to gaze into the Crimson ranks behind her and then leaned over to whisper something into Thordarson's ear. The Chancellor pulled back to look at her for a moment and then smiled, nodding his furtive approval. Anna turned and marched passed a confused looking Mayor Ulric standing at the podium, passed Eric who was rising out of his seat to watch her moving toward the Crimson Guards.

"Anna…? Where are you going?"

She walked straight up to Captain Dunning who was still standing in front of his men; she finally stopped before him. "Excuse me, Captain," she instructed, stoically.

Dunning looked down at her, his lips curling in a wave of unreserved contempt and loathing that reminded Anna of the great ape of the _hoard_. He reluctantly swung to the side to let her pass, and Anna walked straight into the ranks of Crimson Guards, through the first, second, and third rows, down an aisle to the very back. She finally stopped in front of the enormous, crimson-wrapped guard, whose face was hidden beneath his silken mask.

"Hello, Trog," Anna said brightly. The giant guard did not move, but Anna could sense his twin hearts beginning to increase their pace. "I see Professor Thordarson was able to talk the captain into letting you join us today; I'm very happy to see you again." She could feel his hearts quicken once more, but still the guard never moved, continuing instead to stare straight ahead. The crowd and watching students were amazed at the sight of this small girl talking up to the enormous crimson hulk.

"Trog… could I get you to help me with this stone?" Anna asked him, hopefully.

Finally, the great figure slowly dipped his head to look down at her. His beautiful green eyes shown like emeralds in the late afternoon sun through the two holes cut into his mask. For a moment, Trog looked like he wouldn't be able to speak. He then looked up at the spot where the foundation stone sat, and where the Professor Thordarson stood waiting. He could see the Chancellor motioning him forward with his staff.

"Please, Trog…" Anna pleaded. "It would mean so much to have you help us set this stone in place."

He looked down again and Anna could see what would be a smile under his mask wrinkle the corners of his green eyes.

"I would be… most honored, I would," he said in a deep and flattered voice, and Anna smiled.

"Come…" she said, taking him by his gloved hand. She led them back through the other guards, all of which had to move aside to allow for the giant to pass between them. When they reached the podium again, Professor Thordarson reached out and shook Trog's enormous hand and Anna couldn't help noticing Eric's stunned expression, the crowd's astonishment, and Captain Dunning rolling his eyes in utter disgust.

"On three, then?" Thordarson said happily. "One…" Anna pointed her wand at the stone as Trog bent down to take a firm grip. "Two…" Professor Thordarson tilted his staff toward the stone. But before he could count more, Trog gave a mighty heave and pulled the giant stone up to his waist. The crowd gasped in amazement.

"_Wingardium Leviosa__!"_ chanted Anna and Thordarson together, and immediately the heavy block lightened in Trog's enormous hands as he lead it to the place where Mayor Ulric directed them. They finally set the stone down with a muffled thump, and the crowd erupted into another wave of spontaneous applause. Anna smiled brightly and then turned to give Trog a hug.

"Thank you, Trog," she said gratefully, squeezing him tight across his large middle.

The creature wrinkled his eyes at her again. "Trog can be most useful sometimes, he can."

TWO

After the ceremony, Anna took a detour back to the stables to say her last goodbyes to Doctor Pearl and Jeremiah Kingston, who were quietly working to avoid the heartache of seeing the students leaving the plateau. Anna hugged and thanked them both before making her way back to Swooper's stall.

"Now I don't want to hear about you going invisible again while I'm away," Anna warned, wrapping her arms around the mighty steed's neck. "I'll be back in two months, and we'll go flying the very same day, okay?" The thorse stared at her and Anna dipped her head.

"I'm sorry you had to fly back to Castlewood alone the night you took me to Drogo," she said, painfully. The creature licked her forehead and then flapped his marvelous, ebony wings. As it was with all good friends, any part of her personal failure was immediately forgiven. Anna gave Swooper one final brushing and then kissed him on the nose.

"Have a good holiday, big boy. You've earned it," she said, patting him on the neck and offering him a last carrot.

An hour later, the Graysons were walking together with Gabby through the cobbled streets of Spellsburg toward the city gates. They stopped to talk with several shop owners along the way, who lamented the long summer holiday without the students of Castlewood among them. Eric seemed to be gathering most of the attention as they approached the tram station. Several residents came out to shake his hand and wish him good luck, and some of the shopkeepers hugged him like a member of their own family taking his final leave.

Soon they were piling into one of the trams and rumbling over the union walls and wooded plateau. Anna looked down and watched as dozens of construction wizards moved massive stone blocks and wooden beams into the newly created gap between the city's walls. Soon, the new Guardian Hall would rise up to enclose the city again. She tried to imagine it; a massive Hall with purple flags flying between its notched merlons.

As the city of Spellsburg fell out of sight, Anna realized just how much Castlewood had become her second home. She rose up on her toes to watch the last flags on the castle's turret dip below the plateau's rim before sadly turning away. She was going to miss this enchanted place, where the sound of magic's voice first reached out to touch her.

Anna found Gwen and Sarah on the docks still admiring the new Academy emblem on their robes. The Guardian crest had magically weaved itself together with the other five Unions surrounding the embroidery of Castlewood in its center.

Two hours later the Allegheny Pride emerged from Neptune's Veil, splashing down in full view of the crescent harbor. There, a flotilla of little white boats was waiting to take them home. Along the way, Anna sat with Gwen and Sarah to relive her flight to Drogo and the obstacles she had to face on her way to its lowest dungeons. But when she reached the part where it came time to tell them about Voldemort's curse on her mother, Anna hesitated. Her friends could see the pain it was causing her to talk about it, and especially the horrifying part about her mother falling victim to a vampire's curse. Through it all, Anna sobbed and broke off several times, but she finally told her friends everything.

Gwen was especially sympathetic, but she couldn't bring herself to imagine what it must have been like for Anna to see her mother and witness the full horror of what she described in that awful dungeon room. She hugged Anna, and the three friends sobbed together until the sailors on the docks outside could be heard hollering to those aboard the Pride.

"Hey… I forgot to ask," Anna said, pulling away from her friends to wipe her runny nose. "Whatever happened at the Triwizard Tournament?"

Gwen frowned. "You would have to ask."

"What do you mean?"

"The Potter kid won, of course," Gwen said, in a tone that insinuated Anna might have known all along this would be the final result.

"Really?" Anna was surprised. "He won the final task, then?" she assumed.

"I don't know… none of us really do."

This time Anna frowned. "I… don't understand."

Gwen sighed. "We don't know what happened because we never got a chance to see the final task."

"What? But… I thought you said…?"

"We were all watching the beginning of the tournament as the champions entered this huge maze filled with creatures and spells to block their race to the center."

"We saw this terrible scorpion-like creature attacking Fleur Delacour, the champion from France," Sarah chimed in. "Oh… it was very scary."

"Yeah…" Gwen agreed, excitedly, "and we saw Krum escape an enchanted shrub that tried to eat him." Anna listened eagerly as Gwen continued. "But then something happened to the projectors sending us the pictures, and everything just… went black." She shrugged. "We waited for a while for the projections to return, but they never did."

Sarah was nodding. "Oh… the crowd in the stadium got very angry when Professor Thordarson decided to go ahead and start the Vollucross race afterward, but after waiting for nearly thirty minutes, it was obvious we weren't going to see the end of the tournament anyway."

"We didn't even know Potter won the thing until the next day when the _Spellsburg Seer_ reported the results," Gwen explained. "Apparently, the other three champions did sustain some minor injuries in the maze, but it also said the inspector wizards at the scene confirmed somebody had sabotaged all the projectors. Can you believe that? Strange, isn't it? There were even a couple of editorials suggesting somebody at Hogwarts might have disabled the projectors to make sure nobody saw them helping the Potter boy win, but I don't think anybody really believes that."

Anna was suspicious, and then she remembered something Dumbledore told Professor Thordarson while she was still in the hospital. Dumbledore had said Potter was a witness to Voldemort's return, and Anna knew exactly when that happened. The evil one had screamed in jubilation when the dark mark on her arm burned black within Drogo. _But how could Potter have been in two places at the same time? How could he have been at Hogwarts participating in the tournament and then somewhere else watching Voldemort rise again?_ _And now there was this news of sabotaged projectors. _Anna wondered:_ Who at Hogwarts would have purposely interfered with the tournament… and was that somehow connected to Voldemort's return?_

After the ship landed and the students had disembarked, Anna kissed and waved goodbye to her friends. "Have a good holiday," she said happily, and then laughed when Gwen noticed a particularly handsome young sailor securing the ship's ropes to one of the piers. Gwen looked back at Anna, bounced her eyebrows twice, and then turned to strike up a conversation with the boy.

"Anna?"

Anna turned to find Sarah still standing beside her, looking shyly troubled.

"I just wanted to say… well… thank you."

"For what?"

Sarah looked at her and smiled. "For everything, Anna; for being kind to me on our first day; for wanting to be my roommate even after you found out about my talking in my sleep; for allowing me to hang around you and Gwen, and helping me to become a Guardian. I…" her words stumbled slightly, "if it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have made it through my first year at Castlewood."

Anna smiled and put her arm around Sarah's shoulder. "Hey… no problem. But you should know… my services come at a price." Sarah looked up at her questioningly. "It'll cost you one letter a week until we're together again in September. What-da-ya-say, roomie… deal?" Anna stuck out her hand and Sarah grinned.

"Deal!" she returned, enthusiastically.

Anna walked with Sarah until they located the boat to take her home, and then she found Captain Reye and Gabby loading their trunks aboard the BB5. Soon, they were leaving Loon's Lagoon once again and setting course for the open sea.

"Miss Anna?" Reye bellowed, "The Captain's mate should stand aport in these waters. The sunsets are better over there," he added, with a wink.

Anna smiled. "Yes, sir," she yelped, delivering a snapped salute before moving to the left side of the boat where she stopped to coil a large pile of tangled rope. Eric and Mister Grayson were alone at the stern and laughing as Anna dashed about the deck to Captain Reye's hollered orders.

"Have you heard anything from Dumbledore about what the Order of the Phoenix will be asking of you, father?"

Mister Grayson looked at his son and then turned to watch the churning, white water falling away behind them. "Yes. I received an owl from Hogwarts this morning before we got underway. They want me to begin informing those we can trust in the Ministry about Voldemort's return. That's going to be very difficult, because both the Ministers of England and America are denying Dumbledore's statements about what's happened."

Eric looked scandalized. "You're kidding?"

His father glanced over at him and smirked. "Don't be so surprised, son. Their response to all of this wasn't exactly unexpected. You were too young to remember how bad things were before the days of Voldemort's fall. It isn't going to be easy to convince people he's come back again."

"Is Dumbledore sure about this, father? I mean, after all these years… how is it really possible?"

Mister Grayson considered his son's question. "I trust Dumbledore completely… and you should as well." Then he looked over at Anna who was still running about the boat. "But there's another reason I believe he's returned."

Eric looked at his father watching his sister work. "Anna…?"

His father nodded. "All year long I've labored to understand why all of this has happened to your sister. Why did her powers suddenly emerge? Why was Anna selected to start a new Guardian Union? Why are her gifts so strangely different? What would explain this amazing ability to communicate with magic?" He looked at his son. "Just imagine that for a moment, Eric. If anybody in the Wizarding world would have said magic had the ability to summon some form of consciousness, they would have said you were crazy, but now we know Anna can somehow connect with that consciousness. The concept is explosive."

"I'm not sure I really understand any of this, father," Eric replied, shaking his head in puzzled bewilderment.

His father sighed. "I'm not sure any of us really do… not yet anyway, but it only makes sense to believe Voldemort is back. His return this year coincides with everything Anna told us about magic's move to protect itself." He looked down worriedly and then up into his son's troubled face once more. He reached out and braced Eric's shoulder. "I believe Voldemort is back because Thordarson and Dumbledore believe it; because Victoria believed it before she escaped; but most importantly… I believe it because Anna is convinced of it."

Eric looked at his sister and then back to his father again. He nodded. "I wish you would let me help you, father. I really don't know what to do now that I'm a Guardian."

His father's face turned somber. "I wanted to talk to you about something important when we got home, but I suppose now is as good a time as any." He reached out to Eric again and then turned his son away from the others to the back of the boat.

"Eric… I need to ask an important favor of you."

"Anything, father. What is it?"

"I want you to go back to Castlewood in September."

Eric was surprised. "What? But father… now that Voldemort has retuned, my place is by your side."

"No, son. You've always planned to study advanced Beast and Creature Healing, and I have reason to believe it would be best if you did that in Pennsylvania."

"But why, father? You know I can do my studies just as well at home or in Los Angeles. The great healer Madam Slayer has agreed to take me on as her apprentice; it would allow me to be closer to you in case…"

"Your place…" Mister Grayson interrupted him, "would be better served wherever Anna is." He stared at Eric in a way that told the young man his father's every word to send him away was causing him the greatest pain. "I need you to watch over your sister. She will need you next year more than I, and you're the only man other than Thordarson I can trust to protect her."

"Protect her? Protect her from what?" His father remained silent. "From whom, father?" Eric pressed him, but still, Mister Grayson would not speak. Comprehension suddenly dawned on Eric and he understood the unbelievable fear his father was holding close to his heart. "From… Voldemort?"

"Shhh…" his father motioned before drawing his son close. "We must assume… that Victoria has returned to him."

Eric looked at him in stunned silence and then slowly started to shake his head, but his father reached up and grabbed his son by the back of the neck to stop him.

"All of his Death Eaters would have known how to find him if ever he returned," his father explained. "Victoria is with him now, which means we have to assume he knows about Anna. He knows she somehow entered Drogo unseen. He knows from reading the newspapers that Anna was the first of a new Guardian sect at Castlewood. Voldemort is going to want to understand this power, because he understands the possible repercussions of ignoring it. Anna could be seen as a danger to him."

Eric quickly glanced over at his sister again. The panic in his voice was clear as his frightened gaze returned. "What are we going to do, father? What are we going to do?"

"You will return to Castlewood with Anna in the fall. I can protect your sister while she's at the estate, and Voldemort would never enter Castlewood so long as Thordarson is still its Chancellor. But Spellsburg is a big city; Anna would be most vulnerable there."

Eric thought for a moment and then looked up again. An angry determination was steadily building in his face. "I will go where you and Anna need me, father."

Mister Grayson smiled and then reached out to hug his eldest boy. "Thank you, son. I knew I could count on you."

Suddenly, there was a loud screech above their heads and they both looked up. Shielding their eyes from the late afternoon sun, they could see a small owl circling over the open water; his tiny body was buffeted by the wind as he looked for a place to put down. Hobbs finally dipped his wings and landed upon the boat's railing, clicking his beak madly. Mister Grayson looked back at Eric and then walked over to the bird who was clutching a small scroll in one of his fisted talons. The owl snatched the scroll up with his beak and then gently handed it to Eric's father. Mister Grayson unrolled the parchment and turned his back to the remaining sun to read the message as Hobbs took off to look for Anna.

"What is it, father? What does it say?"

Mister Grayson finished reading the message and then tucked the scroll into one of the pockets of his robes; his expression was a mix of both surprise and anger. "Well… it would seem Anna might have one less problem to worry about when she returns to Castlewood in September."

"What do you mean?"

"That was a message from Chancellor Thordarson. It would seem Dunning has stepped down from his post as Castlewood's Captain of the Guard; he's been replaced by a Lieutenant Hayman."

"John Hayman?" Eric yelped, in surprise.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes… yes I do. This is wonderful news, father. John is a very good man; he'll make an excellent Captain."

Mister Grayson quickly moved to cool his son's obvious glee. "Don't get too excited yet," his father replied, somberly. "It would seem _Lieutenant Dunning_ is still going to be around a while longer."

"Lieutenant Dunning?"

Mister Grayson heaved a heavy sigh. "While the Chancellor agreed to accept Dunning's resignation, he didn't believe it fair to go as far as sacking him outright. So… he's demoted Dunning to the grade of Lieutenant and placed him in Hayman's old post."

Eric's eyes widened in surprise, "But… that would make him the Commander of Castlewood. He'll be in charge of all the Crimson Guards inside the moat. Father… this is not good. Dunning will still be in a very powerful position and he's sure to make trouble for Anna. He's going to make things very difficult for our entire family next year."

"Perhaps not," said Mister Grayson, pulling out the parchment from his robes to read it again. "The message also says Dunning's memory has been modified. Now that he's no longer in charge of Drogo prison, there's no further reason for him to know its location. A memory altering charm is standard practice for any guard on duty at the prison once they've completed their tour of duty there. He won't remember anything Anna did to break into the prison while on his watch, because he won't be allowed to know of Drogo's existence near the plateau. Apparently, Dunning's younger sister has had her memory modified as well."

"Still… that man shouldn't be anywhere near Spellsburg, father. He's going to be trouble. Mark my words… Gregory Dunning is going to be a problem for us."

Mister Grayson twisted the parchment into a ball and dropped it over the side of the boat, his growing frustration becoming more vocal. "I can't believe Thordarson kept the man on. It doesn't make any sense. Why would he do that after everything Dunning's done?" He looked at Eric. "Well… all the more reason I'm glad you're going back to Pennsylvania. Maybe you can keep a close eye on Lieutenant Dunning while you're there."

"You can count on that, father," Eric replied, hotly.

"Hey… put me down!"

Eric and Mister Grayson looked up and to their amazement they found Dowla hanging upside down in midair over the side of the boat.

"Put me down, Anna!"

Anna, donning a fright of very bright-green hair, had her wand out and was using it to bounce her older sister up and down over the boat's railing while Damon and Tencha stood to the side howling with laughter.

"Say you're sorry… and you'll never do it again, Dowla," Anna demanded.

"It was just a joke. Come on… put me down."

"Say it," Anna warned, as she lowered her sister closer to the water.

"All right — all right!" Dowla screamed in a panic. "I'm sorry! Okay?"

"And?"

"And I'll never hex you behind your back again!" she yelled back.

Anna looked skeptical. "We'll see…" she said, moving her flailing sister back over the deck of the boat where she started bouncing her up and down in the air again.

"Daddy! Make her stop. Tell Anna to stop it!" Dowla roared angrily, trying to keep her robe and dress from tumbling over her head in front of an amused Captain Reye.

Mister Grayson was trying not to laugh. "Anna Grayson…" he said sternly, adopting a straight face. Anna looked over, still holding her wand high. "No magic allowed… and stop picking on your sister." Anna grinned coyly at him, and then glared back up at Dowla once again.

"Fine…" she said with an angry sneer, before dropping her sister on the wood of the deck with an unforgiving thud. Anna quickly spun on her heals to point her wand at Damon and Tencha who were still laughing. They immediately froze and then pointed an accusatory finger at one another. Anna huffed irritably and then tapped her hair twice with the tip of her wand, which quickly changed back into its original color. She then slipped her wand back into her robes and marched off.

Damon could be heard leaning over to Tencha, "How'd she do that without the counter spell?"

Eric turned to his father and smiled. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that to Anna."

His father smiled back. "This is going to be a _very_ interesting summer."

"There she is folks… home-sweet-home," yelled Captain Reye, and everybody on the boat looked up. Sure enough, they could see the sandy white beaches of the southwest coast coming into view on the horizon. "And it looks like we've got ourselves a welcoming party."

The Graysons looked out over the bow of the boat and could see two giant whales swimming directly at them.

"They sure look like they're happy to see us," Reye added, as the whales passed like enormous hills on both sides of the boat going the other way. They quickly turned to circle back, matching the speed of the BB5 easily.

"Well I'll be…" said Reye, amazed by the sight. "In all my years… I've never seen anything like that before." The family looked out and saw one of the whales gliding effortlessly through the water as it rolled over and raised a large pectoral fin, like a giant sail along the side of the boat. The whale on the other side matched the maneuver, and Anna reached out and let her hand slid over its smooth, rubber-like body. She smiled as she listened to the giant's enormous heart, beating like a drum between her ears. As the giant fin began to slowly sink down, Anna ran to the opposite side and stretched out an open hand to the other whale.

Eric stepped in next to her. "Remarkable…" he said, in amazed wonder. He then reached out as the whale started to slide down and stroked the enormous fin before it fell out of sight and into the murky depths below them. He looked at Anna and could see tears running down her face.

"What's the matter, Anna?" he asked her, putting an arm around his sister. She buried her face in her brother's robes and then turned to look out over the water toward the dipping sun.

"They really were," she said, smiling.

"They really were — what?"

She looked up at him. "The whales… they really were happy to see us."

Eric looked at Anna and smiled as they turned together to watch the remaining sun fading away and the darkening sky change to purple near the end of the green sea. Eric held his sister close.

"Welcome home, Anna."

THREE

Two weeks later, Anna and her father were walking through the rubble of the old Jennings estate.

"Mind your step, sweetheart," he said warningly, pointing to a flattened panel lying on the ground next to her feet. "That area is very weak; you could fall into the basement if you're not careful." He was looking at an old scroll held open in his hands.

"And that area over there…" he said, with a sharp nod toward one of the broken chimneys.

"— the parlor," Anna finished for him as she stepped over another fallen beam. Her father frowned and then turned the scroll around, tilting his head to study the old parchment again.

"Yes… that's right." He looked up at her. "How did you know that?"

Anna shrugged as her father lowered the scroll and looked up into a memory full of high-vaulted ceilings.

"Ah… I wish you could have seen it, Anna. Your mother's family estate was truly magnificent. But I see these drawings are missing quite a few details; I only hope I can remember most them for you."

"The details aren't that important, daddy. Oh… except for the round window in the front."

"Window?" he said, reaching out to help her over an open hole in the floor.

"Yeah… the round, stained glass window at the top of the front porch. It had an angel battling a dragon. I'd like to have that window restored if possible."

Her father thought for a moment and then smiled. "Ohhh… of course. I had forgotten about that; it was a very beautiful piece. It had…" he stopped, and then quickly looked down at the scrolls again. He jerked up in surprise. "Wait… that detail wasn't in the plans, you couldn't have possibly known about that," he added, skeptically.

Anna bent down and picked up something from under a fallen piece of slate. She looked at it pryingly, and then held it up for him to see. It was a piece of colored glass with part of an angel's wing. Her father grinned.

"Listen… I have to get back to the house. I have a meeting with the Director of The Office of Wizard/Muggle Communications. I've been given permission from the Minister of Magic to tell Sidney Heidelbach about the Wizarding World. His boss John Landers of Westfront International will be there to help us."

"Oh daddy… that's wonderful. I hope this will help the poor man put his ordeal behind him."

"I really think it will, and I believe Sidney will be a great asset to what we're trying to do with our investments."

"Please… could you pass my good wishes to him?"

"I will." He looked up at the sky. "It'll be dark soon; don't stay out here too long. And please… do be careful around all this debris. It's still very dangerous out here."

Anna looked around at him. "I will, daddy. Don't worry."

Her father nodded and then walked over to the waiting horses, which were grazing on the soft grass under their hooves. He mounted his black stallion and reined around. "I'll see you at dinner," he said, with a wave.

Anna watched her father drop out of sight below the trees and then immediately turned and headed directly toward the back of the house. A pile of mixed wood and stone blocked her path to the forest behind the estate, and she struggled to climb to the other side. After finally sliding down again, she stopped to look into the woods and smiled.

"I never had a chance to thank you for helping me at Drogo," Anna said, peering around the remaining mounds of fallen brick and rock. A faded, white image suddenly came forward from out of the woods toward her.

"Hello, Leola. How long have you been watching us?"

The ghost of Leola Grayson grinned. "My apologies, Sithmaith. I thought I felt an intrusion on the property some time ago; it awoke me from my sleep. Your ally will endeavor to remain more diligent next time," the specter replied, turning the summer air around them icy cold.

"I can't possibly thank you enough… for coming to my rescue that night," Anna said, suddenly struck by the irony of a murdered ghost attacking its own killer.

Leola smiled again. "But I should be thanking you, child."

"Me? Why?"

"You did not tell Boris the details of my death. I never want my husband to know of Victoria's crime. He's been through so much already; it would shatter him to know the truth. He always loved Victoria. Even when we were children, I could see it … even if Boris could not. And Victoria loved Boris more than anyone in the world."

Anna was surprised. "Victoria told you she loved my father? She told you that before you married him?"

"Yes… she did. At the time, Victoria believed Boris would always consider her more of a sister than ever his wife, and when he asked me to marry him, it was Victoria who told me I should accept."

Anna thought. "You know… it was all Voldemort's fault… what my mother did to you, I mean." And Anna told Leola what she had learned about her mother's kidnapping and subsequent torture at the hands of the Dark Lord. She told her ally everything, and at the end, Anna could clearly see how the story hurt Leola deeply even through the soft and pale glow of her spectral state.

"Oh Victoria… my poor, dear friend," said the ghost, turning back toward the forest. "I have waited so long for a reason to forgive you… and now… I finally have it." She was almost out of sight again when Anna called to her.

"Will I ever see you again?"

The ghost turned. "I do not know, Sithmaith. I grow weary now as never before. I will guard the grounds from Victoria's intrusion for as long as I possibly can. In the meantime, I await magic's call." She turned again and, within a few steps, the shadows of the forest absorbed the light of her body entirely.

"Goodbye, Leola… and… thank you."

Anna turned and made her way back through the rumble of her future home, the air around her quickly warming after the ally's departure. She stepped carefully, more out of reverence than worry, and noticed something strange catching the light from one of the crumbled mantles. She worked her way toward the object, surprised by the sparkling glimmer it was giving off amidst the dust and dirt surrounding it. She reached out and lifted a delicate chain off the mantle, and then marveled at the familiar, soft whispers it sent into her mind.

A cross of gold with a centered emerald hung from the chain. It was her mother's necklace; the very one Victoria had taken from Anna's neck while still in Drogo. The whispers from the necklace were louder as Anna squeezed her mother's most precious heirloom tight in her closed fist. She could hear the whispers clearer now.

"_A mother's love is always true. A mother's love is always true."_

Anna turned quickly to look around. "You _were_ here," she whispered, looking around the fallen house with hopeful anticipation. "That's what awoke the ally again; she could sense your intrusion." She stroked the cross again, sobbing as she spoke.

"Thank you, mother. I knew you were still alive. I knew it."

Anna opened the tiny latch and returned the necklace to her neck, stroking the cross as it fell against her breast. She made her way back to Apollo, and they walked together to the edge of the cliff overlooking the beautiful ocean below. She stroked Apollo's nose and watched the sun set as the voices from the necklace whispered its message to her again and again.

"_A mother's love… is always true."_

The End

Hallelujah, hallelujah, God bless the child who suffers

Hallelujah, hallelujah, God bless the young without mothers

Hallelujah, hallelujah, let every man help his brother

Hallelujah, hallelujah, Let us all love one another

Hallelujah, hallelujah, Make all our hearts blind to color

Hallelujah, hallelujah, God bless the child who suffers

Shania Twain/1995

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